Consumer Information Magazine
As a sign of connection, love or friendship, people all over the world enjoy the fireworks of emotions generated by kissing. In contrast to actual drugs, however, doctors around the world are enthusiastic about this cocktail: kissing strengthens the immune system, makes us happy and can even make us look younger!
Smooch yourself young
It’s no secret that the happiness hormones released when we kiss, such as serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins, make us feel good. However, in addition to the obvious improvement in our current emotional state, kissing has many other benefits that fascinate doctors. For example, more than 34 facial muscles are active during a kiss, which means that over 6 calories are burned per minute – during passionate kissing, the calorie consumption can even be increased to up to 20 calories per minute – is there a more convincing sports program? But it’s not just your summer figure that is grateful for the touch of lips and tongues, but also your skin: the facial muscles activated by kissing counteract the formation of wrinkles and intensify blood flow to the skin on your face – this tightens the skin, makes you look fresher and therefore actually ages less quickly. So, pucker up and get ready for the most beautiful facelift in the world!
Kissing for a long, healthy life
A kiss can be a happiness generator and calorie consumer, but the kissing enthusiasm of many doctors is due to other real and proven health benefits. These are numerous: the up to 80 million bacteria that are exchanged during cuddling strengthen our immune system, regular prolonged kissing lowers blood pressure and can improve cholesterol levels. What’s more, romantic kissing puts the cardiovascular system under positive stress, causing the heart to beat up to 150 times per minute, which strengthens the heart muscle and leads to higher performance. As if the positive attributes were not enough, kissing intensifies breathing, improves oxygen supply and thus also has a positive effect on the lungs. Canadian researchers have actually found that frequent kissers live up to five years longer. So there are plenty of reasons to make out more often and for longer.
Nibbling on eyelashes and meeting souls
Even though the health benefits of kissing have been clearly proven and kissing is a matter of course even in public, romantic kissing is by no means widespread in all cultures. In Papua New Guinea, for example, lovers show their affection by nibbling on their partner’s eyelashes. The indigenous people of New Zealand exchange their breath in an intimate gesture as a sign that their souls have met. The more well-known “Inuit kiss”, in which people in the Arctic sniff each other to show their affection, goes in the same direction. Contrary to popular belief, however, this “smell kiss” is used more as a greeting ritual between friends and families than for romantic intimacy. However you express affection for family, friends and partners, we are sure that any form of proof of love makes the world a better place. And if you become healthier, younger and happier in the process, all the better.
