2024-05-06
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The smooch or the kiss--nothing is so sweet in a relationship.

The kiss can mean various things. It can be subtle, sweet, passionate and even boring! Yet, this act is often overlooked as more emphasis is always on the benefits of sex. But don't discount the power of the kiss author of Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About One of Life's Sweetest Pleasures, explained to a CNN audience. "Kissing is intimate: You're right there in the space of your soul. It gets to the core of your heart and spirit because it's such a lovely way to express and receive love and affection. A kiss a day really can keep the doctor away."

If this is true then maybe we can add more kissing to our schedules? Here are 8 ways kissing can boost your health and possibly change your life.

It lowers blood pressure.

Expressing affection through kissing can be a powerful force as the act can lower the blood pressure. The reason for this is that it gives your heart a workout as it dilates the blood vessels and helps blood get to the organs better. It gets better for lovers as improves blood circulation throughout the body in the body. But how does this really work? Ryan Neinstein, M.D., shared with Glamour that our lips are made up of blood vessels and kissing distributes the blood better. “The blood is then directed toward the face and away from the rest of the body, so the demand on the heart goes down, resulting in lower blood pressure."

It helps anxiety.

Sharing displays of affection like hugging and kissing will release those feel-good hormones that can help people suffering from anxiety. Kissing increases oxytocin and this stimulates endorphins. These natural opiates are released in the brain and help you feel less stressed and will make you feel happier. When we kiss at the end of the day we also release all that energy in a positive way. Psychotherapist Arthur Janov said that people can't have satisfaction in a relationship when this feel-good hormone of oxytocin is low.

It could help you lose weight.

Bryant Stamford is a professor at the University of Louisville and he said that kissing can help you lose weight. In fact, it could be just as much as working out on the treadmill. "During a really, really passionate kiss, you might burn two calories a minute -- double your metabolic rate," he said in an interview with WebMD.

It could help with pain.

Since we know kissing increases oxytocin and this stimulates endorphins. It may also release corticosteroids to help relieve pain. "Once this happens chronic pain like arthritis, PMS and headaches could be impacted and altered," “The Doctors” shared. Sharing displays of affection like hugging and kissing will release those feel-good hormones as well. Pair this with sex and you are on your way to experiencing a healthy boost.

It helps us become more mindful.

Kissing allows you to live in the moment and this is something we all need to do in the hustle and bustle of life. Slowing down is important to our minds and to our bodies. "Kissing is an exciting excursion into the sensual," clinical sexologist Joy Davidson told WebMD. "If we happen to be connecting with someone we care about, it produces a sense of well-being and a kind of full-bodied pleasure." Kissing also heightens the experience of living in the moment. A making out session will also benefit your lymphatic and nervous systems to help chill you out more.

It can prevent tooth decay.

Locking lips may prevent tooth decay by stimulating saliva production. This may help with bacteria and help lower the risk of having fewer cavities. According to Dental Health Magazine, "kissing increases the flow of saliva, which helps to keep the mouth, teeth and gums healthy." The additional saliva will get rid of particles on the teeth as well. There is the flip side as cavity-causing bacteria can be spread through kissing. Of course, you need to keep brushing your teeth even with perfect oral health!

It can ease menstrual cramps.

When you are dealing with menstrual cramps, the last thing you want is to be touched. But you might want to change your tune according to Demirjian, who added that a kissing session can help menstrual cramps. Kissing helps to dilate your blood vessels, which may help alleviate your cramps. You might want rethink pushing your mate away when you are dealing with cramps!

It can help your sex drive.

Kissing can vamp up your sex drive as it stimulates the section of the brain associated with love. "Kissing may have evolved as a way to stimulate brain systems associated with sex drive, romantic love, and attachment so that humans are triggered to seek a variety of potential mates," Journal of Comparative Neurology reported. If the person you are dating can't kiss, it could impair your sex, drive. This is not a deal breaker, but a bad kisser won't keep the engines going.

Wow, kissing is not only fun but can really help your health and overall well-being. Don't be afraid to start kissing your love today and unlock doors to a healthier you.

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