Since the dawn of humanity there have been canons of feminine —and masculine— beauty. From the Graces represented by Rubens to the 90-60-90 model that he reigned in Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood, the ideal body has evolved over the centuries. Although the desired prototypes have been established based on historical reasons and, at least, have been guided by fashions, the truth is that humans unconsciously try to adopt physical characteristics in order to appear attractive to the opposite sex. This is a thesis already developed by Darwin within the framework of the theory of natural selection.
The state of health or the risk of diseases that this model may hide are relegated to the background. Humans have the natural instinct to choose the ideal specimen with which to reproduce. Some anthropologists have gone further by cataloging the search for a stable, romantic connection to not only procreate healthy individuals, but also to ensure the future of children, as a feature of our evolution. So what is the true relationship between love and sex?
Love is a conscious feeling necessarily preceded by sexual desire. The logical emotional succession among humans is the addition to the lust of passion and the solid bond of a couple that supersedes everything else. This is because the brains of lovers secrete one chemical substance or another during the different stages of the relationship. Copulation contributes to the release of hormones such as oxytocin that makes one individual addicted to the other and increases the desire to be together. On the other hand, love is also a trigger for the production of androgens in men and estrogens in women, which in turn increase sexual libido.
The youngest live love in an uninhibited way due to the segregation of serotonin, which favors mental balance, and the relaxation of the brain areas responsible for logical reasoning. Members with an incipient love relationship also release substances such as dopamine, which causes the couple to live in a permanent state of euphoria and makes the passion last.
Love and sex need to be satisfied but, while the sexual appetite is always satisfied with intercourse, love relationships can take a long time to gel, be reciprocated and please both members. From the beginning to its settlement, overflowing emotions prevail in love, which later give way to a more mature feeling. The release of endorphins by the brain favors healthy and stable relationships, even more addictive than oxytocin, which makes it more difficult for us to overcome the breakup or loss of a loved one. In any case, the synergies between love and sex report the well-being and benefits that a couple requires for success, regardless of whether or not their objective is reproduction.
