10 Hidden health benefits of kissing
Ah, the kiss. It can be so many things: sweet, loving, awkward, intense, transporting, disappointing, boring, sublime, life-altering.
On the passionate side, a kiss can be a heart-healthy micro workout, a hormone releaser, and a mood booster. It’s also fun and a wonderful way to connect with someone you care about.
While sex can sometimes feel routine, kissing is intimate. It touches the core of your heart and spirit, providing a lovely way to express and receive love and affection. A daily kiss really can keep the doctor away.
01. Kissing helps reduce blood pressure
Kissing passionately not only benefits your emotional heart but also gives your physical heart a workout. It gets your heartbeat up in a healthy way, helping to lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and ensuring good blood flow to all your vital organs.
02. Kissing eases cramps and headaches
Kissing can be a great remedy for headaches or menstrual cramps. Even though you might want to avoid advances when you’re in pain, the blood-vessel dilation from a good, long kiss can help alleviate your discomfort. Instead of saying, “Not tonight, dear – I have a headache,” try, “Honey, I have a headache. Come kiss me!”
03. Kissing fights cavities
Kissing increases saliva production, which helps wash away plaque on your teeth and reduces the risk of cavities. It’s much more enjoyable than gargling!
04. Kissing can boost your immune system
Sharing kisses can enhance your immunity by exposing you to new germs, which help strengthen your immune system. A 2014 study found that couples who kiss frequently have similar microbiota in their saliva and on their tongues.
05. Kissing boosts happy hormones
When you’re feeling stressed or rundown, a bit of kissing or lovemaking can be just what you need to feel better. It relaxes, restores, and revitalizes you by triggering feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, similar to the effects of exercising.
06. Kissing burns a few calories
While it can’t match the intensity of 30 minutes on the elliptical, a vigorous makeout session can burn 8 to 16 calories per kiss. Kissing and lovemaking can be a form of vigorous exercise if you’re fully engaged. You need a passionate kiss to burn those calories, but it doesn’t have to be a marathon session.
07. Kissing boosts self-esteem
A German study found that men who received a nice kiss from their wives before work earned more money. Leaving home happy makes them more productive at work because they’re not feeling emotionally distressed. Kissing greatly impacts your self-esteem, making you feel loved and connected.
08. Kissing can give you a mini facelift
Deep kissing engages multiple facial muscles, helping to tone and tighten the neck and jawline, which are often areas of concern for those worried about aging.
09. Kissing is a gauge for sexual compatibility
French kissing is a great way to assess sexual compatibility with a potential partner before becoming more physically and emotionally involved. If the first kiss is lackluster, consider giving it another try, as nerves or awkwardness might interfere. However, if the second kiss is also unsatisfactory, it might be time to move on.
10. Kissing a romantic partner boosts your sex drive
Romantic kissing can lead to sexual arousal and often influences a woman’s decision to have sex. Saliva contains testosterone, a hormone that plays a key role in sexual arousal. The longer and more passionately you kiss, the more testosterone is released.
10 Hidden health benefits of kissing conclusion
Kissing, no matter who you’re kissing, can positively impact your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Kissing boosts self-esteem for both parties and strengthens all types of relationships. So, kiss often—it’s good for you!
