Men with high levels of oxytocin are less likely to cheat, scientists have found. Married men who take the hormone oxytocin are more likely to distance themselves from unfamiliar women and remain faithful to their partners than unmarried men, according to a new study. Oxytocin, also called the love hormone, has been shown to create stronger bonds between parents and children, as well as between partners in a couple. Oxytocin is secreted in our body during orgasm. It is associated with feelings such as love, generosity, security. A previous study showed that the hormone is important for monogamy in animals. Now, for the first time, researchers have found evidence that the hormone can have a similar effect on humans. The new study involved 86 heterosexual men with an average age of about 25. Some of them took oxytocin in the form of a nasal spray, and the others – a placebo. It turns out that men in the first group keep a greater distance from unknown women they find attractive than the others. However, oxytocin showed no effect on single men, the research team explained. NEWS_MORE_BOX Because oxytocin increases trust and a sense of security, researchers expect that under the influence of the hormone, men will allow less distance with women. However, the effect is exactly the opposite, explains study leader René Herlemann from the University of Bonn, Germany. The results show that oxytocin can help men stay faithful to their partners, adds the expert. The study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.