After Marianne Gingrich, Newt’s second missus, claimed that Friendships can enhance your relationship as you and your partner watch how another couple manages ups and downs. It’s also been revealed that the strongest couples have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, leading men in these pairings to get more sex and women more cuddling. Our propensity for love has also been attributed to our evolutionary drives. Researchers have recently identified a distinct system in the brain for romantic love—set apart from our systems for sex and attachment—leading them to conclude that love is not an emotion but rather a very powerful physical experience. Though scientists struggle to explain love’s relation to the brain, there’s no doubt about its connection to the heart. We now know that “broken-heart syndrome” is real; a person’s heart attack risk is 21 times higher than normal the day after a loved one dies. And how does sex tie into all this new research? There’s this new theory: Orgasms promote optimal brain health, at the same level as food and exercise, and the dopamine release that accompanies sex is a fast track to an intense bond with a partner. To come to this conclusion, the author of the new book, Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex and Relationships, had her brain scanned during an orgasm while researchers looked on. What’s the saying: It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it?