Oxytocin: The Unsuspecting Immune Warrior

By Dr. Fern Moreno

You may know oxytocin as the “love hormone”, the “pregnancy hormone”, or as I like to call it, the “hug hormone”, but these titles really don’t give this versatile hormone justice.  What most don’t know is that oxytocin has many critical functions in our immune system and in digestive health.

But first, what is oxytocin?

Oxytocin is a hormone released in the hypothalamus in the brain and sent to various receptors all over the body.  Oxytocin is more commonly known for its role in uterine contractions during the birthing process, mother’s milk release during breastfeeding and in mother-baby bonding. Oxytocin release takes social interactions to a deeper level; it increases eye contact in human faces, it increases trust, and improves the ability to more accurately understand facial cues. 16 Oxytocin plays a role in fidelity by enhancing perceived physical attractiveness to romantic partners, compared to others. 17  It seems oxytocin plays an important role during times of stress; even short-term release of oxytocin decreases aggressive behavior for up to 7 days after a single exposure to this hormone. 4 What’s interesting is that estrogen, particularly estrogen receptor-beta (ER-beta), aids in the production of oxytocin in the brains of women and men, which contributes to decreased aggression. 7   This may be why as men get older or develop more body fat (relatively higher estrogen levels) they tend to become less aggressive.

The gut health connection

Oxytocin receptors are found in mouth, esophagus, large intestine, small intestine, liver, pancreas (alpha and beta cells), the vagus nerve and the prefrontal cortex in the brain. With so many points of entry, it must play multiple roles in the body…

Oxytocin helps develop our micro-biome—the large community of live organisms in our digestive tract that support digestive and immune health—and it starts at birth when mother floods the baby’s body with oxytocin. In all stages of life, oxytocin helps seal up leaky intestinal barriers, to prevent “leaky gut”, which can lead to inflammation and immune dysfunction. 23

Oxytocin helps the immune system cope with stress

Oxytocin specifically decreases inflammatory cytokines, like IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha, which increase during viral infections. 20, 22 Oxytocin helps modulate (increase or decrease as needed) the immune system by directly regulating immune cells (B and T cells), bone marrow, the thymus gland, and other immune organs. 13  It’s almost like our bodies created a system where support and connection to others will literally help us to heal.

This loving hormone doesn’t stop there. Oxytocin helps decrease oxidative stress and stops the cascade of damaging free radicals that can lead to aging and DNA damage.  Studies have shown that oxytocin aids in skin wound healing, acts like an antibiotic and blunts stress-related immune disorders. 13  During times of constant, long-term stress, our bodies will remain in the “fight-flight-freeze” mode for long periods of time. Our bodies were not designed to be under high stress for long periods of time; We’re supposed to either fully rest and recover or not survive at all after a tiger chases us. Oxytocin can help reverse this chronic stress response to a more manageable acute/short-term stress response and prevent our poor adrenals from shrinking. 18

Who knew that the ‘love hormone’ could play such an important role during a viral pandemic!

Oxytocin can be given as a quick-acting intranasal treatment.  But, before you go rushing to your doctor for a prescription, just remember, this is a hormone that your body creates and releases naturally… this means there must be ways to encourage your body’s natural process.

10 Tips to Release More Oxytocin:

1. Take cold showers, end your showers with cold water, or splash your face with cold water. 24
2. Practice loving (consented) physical gestures with loved ones (assuming there is not immediate concern for spreading infections).  Physical touch has been shown to help lower perception of pain. 10
3. Give your body the nutrients it needs to support oxytocin release and oxytocin receptor binding. (Coincidentally, these nutrients also help support the immune system to fight viral infections!).
   1. Vitamin C (buffered) 3 – 2-4 g per day, in divided doses, or every 2 hours. Foods: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi, papaya, black currant, oranges, pineapple, banana peppers, parsley, basil, cayenne pepper.
   2. Zinc 21 (taken with protein) – 15-30mg in lozenges per day. Foods: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, lamb, grass-fed beef, chickpeas, lentils, mushrooms, kefir, avocado, spinach, almonds.
   3. Magnesium 1 – 350mg per day. Foods: legumes, whole grains, broccoli, squash, green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts (almonds), meats, chocolate, coffee.
   4. Vitamin A (palmitate) 6 (Short-term use)– 10,000 IU daily for adults (2,000 IU for children).  Too much vitamin A can cause toxicity and birth defects. Foods: eggs, butter, saltwater fish, grains, green and yellow vegetables (carrots) and fruit, grass-fed beef liver.
   5. Vitamin D3 14 – 3,000 IU daily as a maintenance dose or 10,000 IU daily to treat illness short-term (can vary). Foods: Mushrooms, soy milk, oatmeal, salmon, shrimp, grass-fed beef liver, halibut, egg yolk, cod liver oil, sardines, (sunlight).
   6. Melatonin 11 – dosing can vary from 0.3 mg to 5mg for sleep (and up to 20mg in oncology setting). Tips: Direct sunlight to eyes during the day & avoid bright lights and screen-time 3 hours before bed.
4. Try intermittent bulk drinking to increase oxytocin release- this means you drink your tea, coffee or water in larger quantities at a time (until satisfied), but less times per day—how nature intended. 15 In this case, you would avoid drinking smaller servings many times per day.
5. Increase heat exposure that leads to sweating.  If you don’t have access to a sauna, do a workout fully dressed indoors until you sweat or outdoors in the sun, or take a hot bath until you sweat—sweating from heat exposure activates oxytocin release. 15
6. Talk to friends or loved ones that make you feel alive and valued.  The quality of the relationship matters.  Connect with the people who you know will truly hear you.
7. Make eye contact with people you speak to. This sounds intuitive for many people but our normal instincts for social interactions are shifting with the rapid rise in use of technology for social interaction.  Eye contact during conversations may take conscious practice even for adults.
8. Meditation helps increase oxytocin production. 10 A meditation as short at 5-10 minutes daily with gentle breathing or relaxing music is a great way to start. For many people this is prayer, but could be as simple as consciously reconnecting with your body and emotions.
9. Decrease your exposure to endocrine (hormone) disruptors like:
   • Bisphenol-a (BPA) found in plastic containers and canned food containers. Reuse glass and ceramic containers instead.
   • Pesticides– found in non-organic foods.  I highly encourage you to shop organic as often as possible.  If you can’t, thoroughly soak and wash produce with water and baking soda for at least 5 minutes.
   • Phthalates- found in plastic containers, children’s toys, plastic wrap, beauty products (masked under the ingredient “fragrance”).
   • See more: https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
10. Check your hormone levels.  Oxytocin works together with estrogen and thyroid hormone, and can be suppressed by excess testosterone. 7, 5

Disclaimer: The information presented is not meant to diagnose, treat or provide medical advice.  Dosing and recommendations may vary depending on the individual. Please consult your doctor or speak with a naturopathic or integrative doctor during an official consultation to receive medical advice.

References

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