Love: The natural painkiller

New research suggests that falling in love has remarkable effects on the brain — such as muting pain impulses. But beware: Like morphine, it can be addictive

Does love prevent pain, or just predispose you to run on the beach?
(Image credit: Corbis)

When Huey Lewis sang about the power of love, he said it was a curious thing. He didn't know how right he was. New research suggests that feelings of romantic love can actually mute the intensity of physical pain. Can you really replace your Advil with a dose of love?

How did scientists come to this conclusion?

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