I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day but because it falls on the day that I post my blog I thought that I would do one of my The Science of editions. Contrary to the myth that Valentine’s Day is a relatively modern invention of the card, flower, and chocolate sellers, it has been around for centuries and was closely related to martyr hood. Numerous early Christian saints were named Valentine and Pope Galesius added Valentine to the calendar of saints in 496. The connection to love, granted, came a little later and one of the first times mentioned in literature by everyone’s favourite Canterbury Tale-teller, Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382. You may be thinking that okay, that’s history and possibly theology but what has that have to do with science. The next list takes the traditions apart and looks into the science behind them. Warning: if you are an incurable romantic, this may not be your cup of tea. With that being said, here we go.
- The stages of love; it’s all about the chemicals. Falling in love has forever been seen as some sort of mystical thing but may have more to do with the release of chemicals than by Cupid. When two people first meet and they are sexually attracted to each other, hormones are released estrogen in women and testosterone in men like almost all mammals on Earth. This is followed by that head-over-heels feeling caused by a number of different chemicals in the brain including dopamine (the feel good chemical), norepinephrine (alertness), and adrenaline (fight or flight). The combination of which can make you feel good and nervous at the same time and cause your hands to shake and face to flush. In the earliest stages of a new relationship, seeing a photograph of your partner is enough to signal your brain to release dopamine. The final phase, attachment sees the dopamine and norepinephrine replaced by oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in social bonding, reproduction, childbirth, and the time after childbirth. Basically it can be thought of as a cuddle hormone and helps make people feel more bonded to each other.
- Where did the heart symbol come from? Two possible reasons survive.Ancient Greeks and Roman women used a plant with heart-shaped seed pods called silphium as a contraceptive. This plant was hailed as such a great birth control that it was cultivated into extinction by the first century. There are those who believe that that heart symbol has a connection to ancient anatomical drawing done by Aristotle. He believed the heart was a three chambered organ with a dent in the center. Because the heart has been thought of as the seat of emotion in the body since ancient times it was used to symbolize love ever since.
- A rose by any other name. The rose was used since ancient Greece as a symbol of love as it was the flower that was closely associated with the goddess Aphrodite. There are over 300 species of roses and thousands of hybrids in the world and range in size, shape, and colour. They have been grown for centuries for their beauty and their perfume. Attar of rose is a mixture of essential oils obtained by the steam distillation of crushed rose petals which can be added to perfumes, and cosmetics. This rose oil production originated in Persia and quickly spread through Arabia and India before reaching Europe. Rose hips have also been used in food and teas and are quite high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C has great benefits for the heart as it cuts down on inflammation in the arteries, lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, and helps build immunity.
- The science of keeping those flowers fresh. Florists recommend the packaged flower preservatives to keep those cut flowers from dying quickly but why does it work? The additives contain sugars to feed the flowers, they slow the growth of microorganisms that may harm them, and lower to pH of the water so that they can take in the nutrients that they need. Now sugar and apple cider vinegar can be used in lieu of the preservatives with similar results. Possibly the best way to make your flowers last is to place them in your refrigerator overnight to rest. This slows down their metabolism which delays their inevitable death.
- Chocolate is good for your heart. So, I will not go into depth about this one because you can read all about it here: (yummy chocolate). Suffice it to say, chocolate is good for your heart, chocolate is good for your soul (my humble opinion), and you should give it to those you love (again, my humble opinion and personal obsession.)
So, I hope that I haven’t ruined St Valentine’s Day for you. Any day that promotes love and chocolate is really okay with me as long as it doesn’t make those without partners feel bad. We here at DecoScience wish you lots of love on this day and hopefully some chocolate too.
–Janice Willson
