Forget Viagra, scientists develop what women REALLY want ... a spray to make their men cuddle more

What women want: The hormone oxytocin stimulates affectionate feelings in humans (file picture)



Wish your husband or boyfriend would show his caring side more often?



Scientists could have the answer to your prayers - and it's a lot simpler than you might think.



They have come up with a spray that makes men more affectionate and in tune with others' feelings.



Just a puff or two of the so-called 'cuddle chemical' and even the most macho of males is as sensitive as a woman, they

claim.

The spray is based on oxytocin - a hormone naturally made in the body and involved in sex, sexual attraction, trust and confidence.



It is released into the blood during labour - triggering the production of breast milk - and floods the brain during breastfeeding, helping mother and baby bond.



In spray form, it seems the chemical can make a man 'feel' like a woman.



The Cambridge and German scientists gave 24 healthy men nasal sprays containing oxytocin while 24 others received a placebo.



Afterwards the men were shown heart-wrenching photographs including a little girl in tears, a child embracing a cat and a man in mourning, and asked them to describe the level of empathy they felt with those in the pictures.



'The oxytocin group showed significantly higher emotional empathy levels than those men who had taken the placebo,' said Dr Rene Hurlemann, of the Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn.



SO JUST WHAT IS THE 'CUDDLE CHEMICAL'?

Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone which evokes feelings of contentment and reduces anxiety. It is best know for its roles in female reproduction and is released in large amounts during labour and breastfeeding. It also helps mothers to bond with their offspring. The same hormone is even reported to help alleviate some symptoms of autism by encouraging sufferers to initiate social encounters.

In fact, he added, they reached the 'levels of sensitivity usually found in females'.



The finding raises the tantalising possibility that women could use oxytocin sprays to help macho boyfriends and husbands get in touch with their feminine side.



Chauvinists could be turned into sensitive souls happy to watch weepy films and critique outfits on shopping trips.



On the other hand, it is unclear how long the effects of the spray last - meaning men might no longer be relied on to put up shelves, remove spiders and change fuses in times of need.



Dr Kendrick, of the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, said: 'It is a big effect.



'It gets men up to the levels shown by women - it could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on which way you look at it. For many women, you could say it would almost be a godsend to make a man more empathetic and more like them.



'On the other hand, I am not sure they are used to having men that empathetic.'



In another experiment, also reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, the men had to answer simple questions on a computer.



If they got the right answer, a smiling face popped up on the screen but if they it wrong, they were given a frown.



Those given the cuddle drug scored much higher as they responded better to the 'praise' of the happy faces.



Although oxytocin has been much researched, this is the first time it has been shown beyond doubt to make men more sensitive.



It is thought that the hormone could prove valuable in the treatment of autism, schizophrenia and other conditions characterised by difficulty in reading emotions.



Oxytocin sprays can be bought over the internet for a variety of uses, but experts question whether all brands are equally effective.



In addition, the use of oxytocin in hospitals to induce labour means the sprays should not be used by pregnant women.

