Friday, August 10, 2012

Heart Peptides and Your Mood

Did you know that in addition to electrical signaling, the heart releases peptides that can impact your mood? Think of the heart as an endocrine gland. The peptides it releases help in blood pressure modulation and improving the functioning of kidneys. These peptides also stimulate the pituitary gland thereby helping it to release hormones like oxytocin commonly referred to as “love” or bonding hormone. Oxytocin also helps in increasing a sense of wellbeing. This could be a basis for saying that happy feelings emanate from the heart. (Peptides are molecules consisting of two or more amino acids but that are smaller than proteins--which are also chains of amino acids--that appear to believed to influence a person’s mood.)

No comments: