Large veg the result of a little love chemical? (Image: Austin Bush / LPI)
THE “cuddle chemical” oxytocin is being put to a different use by farmers in India: boosting the growth of pumpkins and cucumbers.
The Indian Ministry of Agriculture wants to ban the practice, which has become prevalent in the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab regions in northern India, stating that “indiscriminate use of oxytocin may cause health hazards if taken through vegetables over a period of time”.
Oxytocin is known to affect social behaviour in humans, as well as facilitating birth and breastfeeding. However, the precise mechanism…
