5 Health Benefits of Kissing - Pucker Up!
Kissing is an intimate act that can be enjoyed by two people of any gender. It's a way to express affection and love, but it's also a way to get closer physically. From releasing the hormone oxytocin, or increasing blood flow to your lips for a fuller look, kissing has many benefits beyond an expression of love or romance between two people. Read on for 5 health benefits of kissing:
1. It helps prevent dry mouth
Not surprisingly, kissing helps stimulate saliva production. Saliva helps wash away acids and leftover particles from the foods that you eat to prevent tooth decay. It also helps aid in digestion, keeps your breath fresh, and keeps bacteria at bay.
2. It will help prevent you from getting sick
Passionate kisses are beneficial to your health; the natural exchange of saliva involved with kissing will help boost your immunity to viruses and bacteria. This is because saliva contains bacteria, 80% of which are common to everyone and 20% of which are unique to you. Every time you kiss someone new, the transfer of saliva exposes yourself to new bacteria, allowing you to acquire immunity to a wider range of strains. In fact, a ten-second long kiss can transfer as many as 80 million bacteria. In a way, it’s like nature’s natural vaccination.
3. It aids in preventing tooth decay and cavities
Tooth decay occurs when your enamel, the translucent outer covering of your tooth made up of calcified minerals, becomes softened and destroyed to its underlying layer, the dentin. Since it is composed of minerals, any act that causes demineralization, such as consuming foods that have an acidic effect on the body or dry mouth, will break down this enamel, leading to dentrimental consequences. Kissing, on the other hand, has the opposite effect as it helps to rebuild your enamel.
4. It keeps you looking younger
Kissing doesn’t just benefit your mouth; it helps to strengthens and exercises your jaw muscles as well. The act of smooching involves thirty facial muscles, according to Reader’s Digest – working these muscles can keep you looking young and revitalized. So while you may feel young at heart when you’re in the middle of a kissing session, just know that you are also keeping yourself looking more youthful.
5. It keeps your stress levels low
Kissing is a great way to keep your stress levels low. It's not just the act of kissing that helps create the feeling of closeness, but the act itself can help you feel closer to your partner and more relaxed in general.
Kissing reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which are released when we feel anxious or threatened, by boosting endorphins (naturally occurring opiates in our brains). Endorphins make us feel good and help us relax. Kissing also increases levels of oxytocin, which makes us feel more connected to each other and lowers blood pressure.
Conclusion
Kissing is one of the most amazing things in life. It's a great way to keep your stress levels low and help you sleep better at night. It's a great form of exercise, and it can boost your immune system. We hope we've convinced you that kissing should be a regular part of your life, for all the amazing benefits it can provide! If you are looking for more ways to level up your kissing and oral health, take a look at some of our GLO Science products proven to boost your mouth's health and pH!
If you are looking for more ways to improve your lifestyle and health, head on over to our blog for more helpful articles.