It is thought that a child needs at least 30 hugs a day to be happy and emotionally well-developed. But do adults need hugs as much as the kids do? Yes, of course! Hugs, kisses, and all the other signs of care, love, and affection have a positive impact on our mental and physical health.
Let’s dive into the topic deeper and see what exactly we can get from kisses and hugs.
Stronger immune system
The more microbes and viruses we contact, the stronger our immunity gets (of course if we are not exhausted, otherwise, we would just get sick). While kissing, the partners “share” about 80 million microbes in 10 seconds. Hence, our immunity can familiarize with a wider range of microorganisms and work out resistance to them.
Speaking about the role of hugs for our virus resistance, we should mention a study held by the Carnegie Mellon University scientists who revealed a positive effect of hugs in common cold prevention.
Reduction of stress levels
A kiss triggers the release of the so-called hormones of happiness (oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine). As a result, a person feels happy and pleased. At the same time, the amounts of the stress hormone cortisol get lower, which works beneficially for the entire human body. A decrease in cortisol lowers the blood pressure, slows down the heart rhythm, and reduces blood glucose levels.
Thanks to this, the probability of evolving a heart disease, a headache or a stroke also goes down.
Help anxiety
You may have noticed yourself that when you give or get hugs, you start feeling calmer and safer. Such an effect is especially useful for people having troubles with anxiety disorder. A warm hug or kiss help to diminish the grade of stress and thus help to control the anxiety.
Boost the libido
Any physical contact between two loving people helps them get closer to each other. While kissing, both male and female bodies start secreting salivary testosterone. This hormone is essential for boosting the sex drive in either sex. Hence, the longer you kiss, the more testosterone is produced, which means that your sexual desire gets higher.
