REGARDLESS OF YOUR feelings about Valentine’s Day, you’ve got to love love.

But what is it? What is the science behind it? Why does one person hold sway over another?

As with so much in life, it all comes down to science.

It’s about receiving rewards from your brain in the form of dopamine, explains Georgetown University psychology professor Abi Marsh.

“People who excite romantic feelings in us also probably trigger increases in oxytocin, which results in an increase in dopamine, and then we find that person someone we want to stick with.”

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So, now you know that the special something may be down to your brain, more than your heart.

But who would buy brain-shaped sweets in February?

Read: You old romantics: Ireland’s favourite romance reads revealed

Read: Lonely sailors throw Valentine’s messages in bottles into the Antarctic

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Looking for love? It's all in the chemistry

Read: You old romantics: Ireland’s favourite romance reads revealed

Read: Lonely sailors throw Valentine’s messages in bottles into the Antarctic

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.