It has often been said that falling in love is one of the best feelings in the world. It can take over a person’s life—they become enamored with the other person and everything just seems better because of the love they share. Is there a difference between this initial love and the love that a couple that have been married for 50 years shares?
Italian scientists believe there is. Researchers at the University of Pavia say that a chemical is responsible for the first rush of love. They found that raised levels of protein were to thank for the feelings of euphoria that those in love experience.
The scientists found that these levels went down over time though when they studied couples that were in long-term relationships. Specifically, these levels went down after one year in the relationship. These findings do not mean that the couple is no longer in love but rather that the love is not so acute.