The Lighter Side:
Amazing Facts About Love

February is traditionally love month, so here are some random love facts (or myths) that might surprise you:

• People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of the left (65% of people go to the right!).
• Falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind and raises levels of nerve-growth factor for about a year, which helps to restore the nervous system and improves the lover’s memory.
• Love can also exert the same stress on your body as deep fear. You see the same physiological responses – pupil dilation, sweaty palms and increased heart rate.
• Philadelphia International Airport finished as the No. 1 best airport for making a love connection, according to a recent survey.
• Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don’t.
• The tradition of the diamond engagement ring comes from Archduke Maximilian of Austria who, in the 15th century, gave a diamond ring to his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy.
• People who are newly in love produce decreased levels of the hormone serotonin – as low as levels seen in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Perhaps that’s why it’s so easy to feel obsessed when you’re smitten.
• According to mathematical theory, we should date a dozen people before choosing a long-term partner; that provides the best chance that you’ll make a love match.