Dudes! We’ve got the hormone prolactin circulating through our muscled bodies (perhaps formerly or potentially muscled). Recent research told me so. How will science emasculate us next?
In case you are unfamiliar, prolactin is a girly hormone if there ever was one. Think “lactation.” Here’s a snippet from Wikipedia:
In breastfeeding, the act of an infant sucking the nipple stimulates the production of prolactin, which fills the breast with milk via a process called lactogenesis, in preparation for the next feed.
Holy smokes. We’ve known that Victoria has a secret. Now it seems Victor does too. What’s his?
First, let it be noted that prolactin plays other roles in the human body, including in sexual activity, particularly orgasm. So maybe we shouldn’t be rushing off to have this hormone with a pink reputation removed from the visually protruding veins in our forearms.
And yes, manly men can have a sensitive side. For instance, is there anything more he-man than a mass of toughness cradling an infant? He will obviously protect his little precious to the death.
So here’s the secret: It seems that prolactin plays a role in that, too. Experiments on rodents have revealed:
In normal mice, the hormone prolactin is produced in adult males in response to physical interaction with their offspring. This research illustrates that prolactin is essential to the generation of new brain cells and memory. Paternal mice without prolactin signaling fail to generate more neurons when they physically interact with their offspring and, therefore, cannot recognize those babies when they become adults. [source, bold mine]
Okay, we men aren’t mice. Maybe rats some times. . . . However, it is likely that the above finding pertains to our kind. Which means that whether or not you’ve got a hairy chest, prolactin will play a role in how good a mommy or daddy you are.
Interesting. Maybe men and women aren’t from separate planets. Maybe we just sleep on different sides of the bed.
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