Kissing is Good for Your Health!

Kissing is an integral part of our intimate relationships!

Sometimes the art of kissing can sometimes fall by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of life. I call it an art because if I mention a few couples in the movies, you may remember one or more of these scenes...

• Johnny and Baby in Dirty Dancing on stage during the finale. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

• Rhett and Scarlett in Gone with The Wind.

• Leo and Kate Winslet in Titanic hanging over the bow.

• Even Molly Ringwald as Sam pining over Jake Ryan all movie long until the moment of truth – a kiss with her objet d'affection over a blazing birthday cake.

Ah, romance.

There’s more to the story, though. Despite the obvious goodness that comes with kissing, there are also several proven health benefits as well!

1. Kissing can help reduce physical pain.

Kissing helps produce adrenaline and dopamine. These chemicals help us to manage our pain.

2. Kissing can help lower your blood pressure by dilating your blood vessels.

This helps your oxygen-carrying blood move more efficiently to the cells, organs, and systems in your body.

3. Kissing can actually burn calories.

Granted, it won't be a large number of calories, but if you're with a good kisser, who cares! Every little bit counts!

4. Kissing, and especially passionate kissing, can help boost your immune system.

It may seem odd, but think about it. When you're kissing someone, you are sharing each other's germs. By sharing your germs, you are actually helping each other to boost your immune systems as your body creates antibodies in response to the new invaders. It's like getting a flu shot but oh so much more pleasurable!

5. Kissing that is passionate can improve your mood.

When we kiss, hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are produced.

These chemicals are associated with our mood, namely with pleasure and our “reward” pathways. The more we kiss the more these chemicals are released, and your mood improves.

6. Kissing reduces stress! Yes, kissing helps to reduce the "stress hormone"- cortisol.

Increased levels of cortisol are associated with high levels of stress. Lowering cortisol levels is a sign of reducing stress. This can be a fun way to manage stress!

7. Kissing fights wrinkles.

Indeed, a great kissing session gives the muscles of your face and neck a great workout! Working these muscles helps to maintain their tone, which starts to fade with age.

8. Kissing releases the “love hormone” that feels so good!

In addition to the hormones mentioned above, kissing also triggers the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that plays a role in sex and bonding (among many other things). The release or continued release of this hormone can help us to feel close and secure with our mate. It can deepen our ability to be vulnerable with each other and create lasting, intimate relationships.

9. Kissing can also be a healthy barometer for compatibility.

That first kiss can be a useful indicator! The more compatible we are, the better our mood. And the better our mood, the healthier we tend to be!

I hope that you have found this article on the health benefits of kissing to be helpful, informative, and at least a bit of fun!  If you have any questions about this or any other aspect of intimacy and sexuality, please feel free to give me a call for a free 15-minute phone consultation.