The experiment was performed on one person only, but if accepted does appear to have implications both for understanding how oxytocin is triggered in human relationships and also in taking seriously the idea that online networking is just as ‘real’ as offline human interaction.

In a sense, social networking is undeniably safer and more controlled than that in the real world – you can easily block unwanted contacts for example.  Therefore, it shouldn’t be altogether surprising that the ‘trust hormone’ is easily switched on when interacting online.

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According to Beate Ditzen, the author of the study,

“[Oxytocin] might help us to pronounce the effects of standard treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, by possibly making the benefits of social interaction more accessible to the individual. But it probably will not replace these standard treatments.” 

Theodoridou’s team tested 96 men and women in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. After participants got either a spritz of oxytocin or a placebo, they were asked to rate pictures of 48 men and women for attractiveness and 30 for trustworthiness. Her team also tested for mood.

No matter their sex or mood, volunteers who received oxytocin rated male and female strangers as both more attractive and trusting.

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“greater partner support is linked to higher Oxytocin levels for both men and women. However, the importance of oxytocin and its potentially cardio- protective effects may be greater for women”.

This was an unexpected result but Hill and her co-researchers believe the fact that the tests were carried out in an unromantic campus health centre also played a part. Over the past year they have run the tests again in a softer setting complete with romantic background music.

I wouldn’t call it unexpected at all.  From what is becoming manifestly clear, oxytocin is a chemical produced by the brain in order to promote long-term bonding.  In an unromantic setting, it would clearly not be in a female’s interest to establish such bonding as a result of a sexual encounter.  Of course, romance doesn’t play such a huge part in the male sexual response, thus it is no surprise that a man’s oxytocin levels can rise even in such an artificial lab style setting.

“I don’t think that it’s overstating it,” Dr. Young said. “As we know more about the chemistry…. I think it is very likely that we’ll be able to tweak our emotions, like love, through neurochemistry. We already tweak our consciousness with lots of other things: alcohol, drugs. If we could get the right mixture, we could enhance love, or turn it off.”

Dr. Young added a note of caution – if a chemical like Oxytocin can switch love on, another chemical could equally turn it off.

“Everyone knows how important it is to spend time with their partner, but 24 hours can go by and you realize you’ve barely noticed each other,” says sexologist Trina Read, author of Till Sex Do Us Part.

“During times of big stress, dealing with all the stuff around the holidays, make sure you touch your partner every day because it raises oxytocin levels.”

“So could we make a love potion that makes you only monogamous, right?” asks Sherman.

Readers of this blog will be amongst the first to learn when it will be hitting the shelves..stay tuned Mrs Clinton!