Reconsider oxytocin supplements marketing, researcher flags

14 Jul 2022 --- Psychological intervention – as opposed to oxytocin – can improve emotional recognition in male participants, according to a joint study by UK-based universities of Essex and Cardiff. The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficiency of intranasal oxytocin compared to a validated emotion training program.

“The results of the study serve as a timely reminder to researchers that we should keep an open mind regarding oxytocin administration,” Dr. Katie Daughters, lecturer at the department of psychology, University of Essex, tells NutritionInsight.

“There is great interest in giving oxytocin replacement to various target groups. However, there are several caveats to consider and for this reason, we should also be open to considering other forms of intervention that may be cheaper or easier to implement.”

Supplements unlikely to fix the problem
According to the study, oxytocin nasal sprays are being marketed as a potential panacea to save fractious relationships, increase parental bonds and even reduce body fat.

Daughters gives insight into whether or not oxytocin supplements are marketed with claims for emotional regulation.

“As a researcher, I do not follow the marketing of oxytocin to the public. However, within the scientific community, the therapeutic potential of oxytocin is being investigated in several different areas, primarily for groups that present with difficulties in emotion recognition and social behavior – for example, individuals with an autism spectrum disorder.”

Potential of oxytocin
Oxytocin is a hormone produced naturally and is essential for controlling behavior, including emotions and interpersonal interactions.

“Like all medications, oxytocin administration can be associated with some side effects, but these are extremely rare within the scientific community. It is not advisable to take any medication without discussing it with a healthcare professional,” says Daughters.

Therapy was a better alternative for emotional support and social behavior than oxytocin administration.The researchers note that the study is part of a strategy to create therapeutic interventions to help those who have trouble recognizing emotions.

Regarding the rise of oxytocin supplementation, Daughters states: “I have not seen any data on this, but I suspect that oxytocin administration has not increased.”

“The primary reason for this is that more scientific evidence is required to understand what benefits oxytocin administration is associated with and for whom these benefits would be most useful,” she adds.

Due to its crucial function in emotion identification and other areas of social cognition, the neuropeptide oxytocin has been suggested as a potential physiological intervention.

Impact of oxycontin administration
The study involved 104 healthy male participants with an average age of 19 who were examined in a double-blind, randomized trial.

Some participants participated in an approved emotional training program, known as the Cardiff Emotion Recognition Training program, while others received intranasal oxytocin and others received a placebo.

The findings reveal that men benefit more from therapy in understanding emotions than from using an oxytocin spray.

“There are many studies examining whether oxytocin can increase the desired outcome, but relatively few studies have compared whether oxytocin is better than something else designed to increase the same outcome,” Daughters explains.

“In our study, we wanted to improve people’s ability to recognize emotions, as individuals who struggle to recognize emotions are at an increased risk of developing poor mental health.”

The results revealed that healthy young men who completed the computer-based emotion training program were better at recognizing some emotions. Still, those who had oxytocin showed no benefit, she explains.

“Our current understanding of how oxytocin sprays work suggests that, in their current form, it may not be a practical solution. In particular, the beneficial effects of oxytocin that we want to bolster only last for several hours,” Daughters concludes.

By Nicole Kerr