NY 13857 Website Give ailments the kiss-off Gannett News Service Kissing may do more than float your boat. It also can help anchor your health. The Associated Press Believe it or not, kissing may actually be good for your health.
Positive experiences boost the immune system.
Dr. Rosemarie Kennaley, family practitioner with the John C. Lincoln Hospitals in Phoenix, says clinical studies demonstrate that touching, which includes kissing, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones and enhances the immune system. It's widely believed that physical touch boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin. Among other things, oxytocin boosts feelings of affection and promotes caretaking behavior. Synthetic oxytocin has been used to treat depression. Your lips are loaded with nerve endings, and as your mouth meets your partner's, impulses fire through your neural network.