'Love chemical' stimulates relationships!

Apparently a chemical that helps cement the bond between mothers and newborn children might also be involved with choosing Miss or Mr right!

A recent piece of research shows that people who inhale the hormone oxytocin, a chemical we all have in our blood, find strangers more attractive. According to Angeliki Theodoridou, who works as a psychologist at the University of Bristol, it makes us see people in a much more positive light. Even if we've never met them.

A previous study has already found that levels of a mother's oxytocin rise dramatically when they touch - or even just look at - their new babies, and scientists are convinced it helps with mother and child bonding.

Other studies have indicated oxytocin also plays an interesting role in people's social lives, helping them with social situations later in life, as an adult. When given the hormone people made overly generous offers when playing a special money-based game designed to promote trust.

The latest research indicated that men and women, no matter what mood they were in, rated strangers as more attractive and trustworthy when they'd taken oxytocin compared to people who'd been given a placebo.

While the study didn't look at how oxytocin affects peoples' social judgements, the scientists involved are exploring whether it dampens down brain activity in the amygdala, the part of your brain that processes fear and related emotions. We'll have to wait and see.

What's the moral of the tale? Isn't it nice to know that your body's chemistry is working away in the background, quietly on your behalf, to help you find love. How clever is that! No matter what your head's telling you, your body is on constant alert for your ideal life partner.

Can you buy oxytocin? Yes, some unscrupulous companies are already marketing sprays that they claim can help enhance reserved people's trust in strangers. But there's absolutely no evidence that these products work. And the scientists who undertook the study refuse to endorse their claims. Not to be trifled with!

In the meantime, trust yourself. He or she is out there. You'll find them, or they'll find you. You have a powerful ally... your body's on your side!

New Year resolution: find my perfect partner!

It's a new year and a new decade. The ideal time to start fresh, open up new horizons and take big, bold steps towards happiness.

Life as a professional single person is great, but having someone to love is the icing on the cake.

Are you determined to find your perfect partner in 2010? If so, dating website TopMatch is a brilliant place to be. Why? They've launched a new service that's taking their members by storm: personal video profiles.

TopMatch research showed that most people don't feel comfortable being filmed. Even fewer people are prepared to blow their own trumpets in public. Most of us are pretty modest when it comes down to it. But video is such a fantastic medium for showcasing your assets.

The solution? TopMatch's personal videos are based on members' online profiles. How? They use an exciting combination of images, photos and music to create an evocative, fun, informal 60 second showreel-style video.

We asked one member what they thought about their video. She said, "I love my personal video profile. OK, I'd given loads of details for my written profile and it sounded really good. But my video made the whole thing sparkle. TopMatch wrote a professional script, which was read by a professional voice over artist, and their production team created this brilliant little clip all about me. I didn't have to do a thing, which was a relief. I'm a confident person but having to sit and blurb on about how amazing I am would have been really embarrassing!"

A personal video is a great way to give people a genuine feel for what you're really like. They're professionally produced, colourful and lively. All in all, they come highly recommended!

Here's a link: TopMatch personal video profiles