Kissing Has Health Benefits

Did you know that kissing your beloved can help keep you happy and healthy? It’s true! So celebrate the power of a smooch on National Kissing Day, June 22.

Five benefits of kissing

1. More happiness – the act of kissing signals your body to release happy chemicals such as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin , which amp up the positive vibes. Besides making you feel great, these hormones also support physical and mental wellness.
2. Less stress – when oxytocin and its bliss buddies are flowing, cortisol levels drop. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, and it’s the body’s response to a perceived threat. Basically, your body goes into caveperson mode when you’re stressed out, and prioritizes short-term survival over long-term health. Your brain prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, that are very useful in helping you to fight the threat or run away from it very quickly. It works for emergencies, but you can’t live your life that way! Oxytocin can reduce the physical and mental impact of stress, helping your body to return to it’s natural, balanced state.
3. Get a glow – Kissing can be a workout for your face, which increases blood flow. According to this article in the American Journal of Medicine, a quick smooch doesn’t have much of an impact, but a passionate kiss can “involve 23 to 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles.” This gives you a short-term glow, and may also stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, two skin-nourishing proteins associated with great skin. The article also notes that “the act of kissing consumes between 5 and 26 calories per minute.”
4. Helps Pick the right partner (and keep them) – scientific studies indicate that humans may have developed kissing as a way to check out a partner’s biological fitness and compatibility. And once you have that sorted out and have found your soul mate, kissing encourages long term relationships.
5. Healthy smile – Kissing increases the flow of salvia, and a well-hydrated mouth is a healthier mouth than a dry one. So kissing may be able to boost your oral health. But that doesn’t mean you can skip regular checkups and cleanings! Regular dental care is essential for your health, and the health of the people you are kissing – dental decay is a contagious disease.

Keep smiling

The best thing you can do is maintain a good oral health routine, including seeing your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. If you have been delaying getting dental care due to cost, consider a dental savings plan, which can save plan members 10-60% on most dental procedures. Many plans also come with other wellness savings, such as discounts on prescription drugs, hearing, vision, and chiropractic care, as well as telehealth services. Getting your wellness and dental checkups is critical to your overall health! Learn more about dental savings plans here.