Romantic love lasts only a year Italian scientists have found that the chemical in the brain which makes us romantic disappears over a year They say this explains why the happy, wonderful and headover-heels feelings we experience at the start of a relationship not last forever Researchers discovered that levels of a chemical called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) greatly increase when a person first falls in love NGF comes from the rush of adrenalin that occurs when new love blossoms The chemical fades over a year or so after people become more secure in a relationship Research leader Dr Enzo Emanuele reported: “We have demonstrated for the first time that…levels of NGF are elevated among people in love.” His team analyzed 58 volunteers who had recently fallen in love The researchers compared NGF in this group with those in people who were single or in steady relationships They found increased levels of NGF in the new romantics They also said NGF caused sweaty palms and butterflies in stomachs, and perhaps made young men buy red roses and candlelit dinners Vocabulary Chemical2 Forever3 Levels4 Adrenalin5 Blossom6 Fade7 Secure8 Elevated9 Analyze10 Compare11 Steady12 Palms13 Candlelit14 Head-over-heels 15 Butterflies in my stomach- a the inside of your hand b to examine c for all future time or a very long time d lit by the gentle light of candles e a strange feeling in the stomach caused by adrenaline f to slowly disappear g dependably, not likely to change h doing cartwheels in excitement i a substance j will continue over a long period of time k an amount of a substance l higher than other things m to grow, open, or start n to examine two or more things to show how they are similar to or different o a chemical made by your body when you are afraid, angry, or excited Special Topic: Love!