Kiss and health. The combination is perfect. There are many benefits that we can get from a simple kiss. The merit is of the activation of various hormones, first of all oxytocin. A study has shown that kissing activates oxytocin, which produces a drop in cortisol, considered the stress hormone. However, it should be remembered that this function only works in those who kiss often.
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We spend 333 hours of our lives kissing
We spend an average of 20,000 minutes of our lives kissing. There are passionate kisses, the shy ones of the first date, everyday kisses and those to say goodbye. To celebrate them all in 1990, World Kiss Day was born in Great Britain, from English World Kiss Day. It occurs every year on July 6 to celebrate all the emotions and sensations that a kiss is capable of unleashing within us.
Behind this gesture, which unites couples from all over the world and is synonymous with transport, sharing, contact and passion, many psychological, anthropological and scientific meanings are hidden. From the hormones it triggers to why we tilt our heads to the right when we kiss, find out everything there is to know about kissing.
The first kiss
The first kiss is never forgotten: everyone remembers when, how, why and above all with whom. But is it really different from all the others who give themselves in life? “It’s an unforgettable moment in life, for many even more intimate than the first time you make love,” he explains Albert Caputo, psychiatrist and psychotherapist president of the Institute of Sexual Evolution – «the first kiss causes a discharge of dopamine, the hormone of pleasure, responsible for the sensation of magic and butterflies in the stomach. Dopamine then stimulates the hypothalamus to produce endorphins that trigger involvement, like a drug. Indeed, kissing is a natural drug.” Find out what happens to your body when you are in love!
Kiss and health – all emotions
The first one may be unforgettable, but the ones that come after can be even more meaningful and exciting. But what exactly happens when we kiss? “The kiss involves four of the seven cranial nerves and about 36 facial muscles, consuming 2 to 3 calories per minute, setting in motion the production of oxytocin, which increases the bond and the approach” explains the expert Alberto Caputo. When a kiss is particularly involving to some people it seems that the heart explodes with emotion. Kissing is an essential part of foreplay.
Kiss and health: the role of hormones
“The fault of adrenaline and noradrenaline, two hormones that make the heart beat faster, also causing an increase in redness on the face: we are not hot, we are just very very excited”. After all, anyone who compares being in love to a hangover isn’t too far from reality: the effects on the brain of oxytocinthe well-known love hormone, are quite similar to those induced by alcohol. The kiss is also one of the fundamental points of the foreplay. The kiss is capable of allowing the body to release fundamental euphoric substances, such as dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins.
«The frequency and intensity of contact between the mouths of lovers is a thermometer to measure the degree of intimacy and health of the couple. With a French kiss, messages of sexual pleasure are sent to the brain through the nerve endings on the surface of the tongue. For this reason, psychologists consider the tongue a psychological sexual organ, that is, a part of the body that plays a fundamental role in the love relationship, even if it is not involved in reproduction”.
The science of kissing
For many, kissing is a simple manifestation of affection, but in reality there is a complex “science of kissing” behind it. Have you ever wondered why we kiss? «According to anthropological studies – explains Emmanuele A. Jannini, extraordinary professor of endocrinology and medical sexology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata – through the kiss we transfer the memory of when the woman chewed her food and then gave it to her son. The act of kissing is characteristic of our species: mammals and other animals kiss while smelling each other, man has a less developed sense of smell and to make up for this impairment he created the kissing gesture ». At the level of biochemistry, then, it has a different meaning in male and female. «In men, testosterone is present in saliva, which excites the desire of women, predisposing them to mating. In the saliva of the woman, however, there is benzodiazepine, the anxiolytic molecule par excellence, a sort of “natural valium” which aims to appease the innate performance anxiety of the male». Erectile dysfunction, do you know when stress affects?
Kiss and health: kisses release millions of bacteria
To spoil the romantic picture of kisses, bacteria arrive. Yes, because when we dedicate ourselves to this activity with our partner, we manage to transfer as much as 80 million. One revealed it Dutch scientific study, which investigated the 700 and more species of microorganisms that live in the mouth of each of us. By studying 21 couples, the scientists found that the microbiota on the back of the tongue is more similar between partners than between unrelated people. However, the “sharing” of bacteria does not happen only because of kissing, but also because of lifestyle, diet and common toothpaste. However, kisses do the bulk of it: during the most intimate ones, i.e. with tongue contact, 10 seconds are enough for about 80 million bacteria to transfer.
Why we kiss “to the right”
It’s a movement that comes completely natural to us: when we kiss we tilt our head to the right. How come? «The anthropological roots of this gesture lie in the period of breastfeeding. In fact, 90% of mothers breastfeed their child on the right breast first and this affects the life of the adult and his tendency to instinctively tilt his head to the right when he kisses »explains Caputo. More generally, the effects of breastfeeding last a long time and they increase the likelihood of becoming smarter, better educated, and even wealthier adults.
The real kiss is with your eyes closed
Most of the time the eyes close, but it can happen to take a peek or to look at the partner for the entire duration of the kiss. But the real one, in reality, is with the eyes closed. «Noradrenaline causes pupillary vasodilation, which is why when we kiss and are very involved we tend to close our eyes. General advice: do not kiss with open eyes. Keep your eyes closed to fully immerse yourself in the moment and have no distractions. Only quick micro-peeks are allowed to check the situation!” warns Alberto Caputo. A scientific study has also shown that the most overwhelming kisses are those with the eyes closed because by blocking the sense of sight, the brain is able to concentrate better on the information that comes from the touch (preventing the senses from literally sending it into a tailspin).
Kiss and health: the kissing disease
In addition to bacteria and antibodies, when you kiss there is also the risk of passing on mononucleosis, the kissing disease par excellence which, more or less consciously, sooner or later affects many people. The most affected are teenagers having their first kisses and, although it is present all year round, it has a higher level of incidence in spring and summer. «Mononucleosis is a disease not to worry about – assures Cristina Mussini, infectious disease specialist and director of the complex structure of infectious diseases at the University Hospital of Modena – in many cases it does not give obvious symptoms or presents with a slight malaise and tiredness. In others, however, it can generate very important pharyngitis, associated with high fever, tiredness, exhaustion and enlarged lymph nodes on the side of the neck. Finally, in rare cases, an enlargement of the spleen can also occur and therefore one must abstain from drinking alcohol and it is preferable to follow a light diet ». Since there are no therapies or prophylaxis, the only remedy is rest. Find out here all the symptoms and tips to overcome it.
Kiss-proof fresh breath
Having fresh breath is one of the main concerns of those who have to give a kiss. In this case, nutrition can help you a lot. Foods such as lettuce, raw carrots, apples, and celery can help freshen your breath by clearing the bad smell out of your mouth. If you suffer from halitosis, however, food cannot help you because in 90% of cases it is a problem not due to what we eat. Any other measures against bad breath? Drink often (dehydration is one of the most common causes of bad breath), do not fast (not chewing anything causes microbes to proliferate in the mouth, while chewing stimulates saliva and promotes self-cleansing of the oral environment), use to xylitol and zinc salts and finally remember to always brush your teeth (even with a tongue cleaner). Discover here the 10 science-proof tips to have top teeth.
The kisses and the seduction of the lips
How can a woman convey to a man the will to kiss him or want to be kissed? «80% of women wear lipstick and 100% of men are attracted to women with painted lips – explains psychiatrist Alberto Caputo – the lips have a very strong seductive function as in the male’s unconscious they resemble the labia majora of the vagina. Since the man has reached the upright position he no longer shows signals related to fertility, and therefore, unconsciously, these messages are transmitted through make-up. Above all, the contour of the lips, if accentuated, pushes a button in the male brain of availability». The more the lips are exalted, the more the seduction is exalted: therefore green light to make-up, but without exaggerating. Lipsticks and lip glosses are nice to look at but not much to kiss. The important thing is to always have hydrated and non-chapped lips: lip balm and natural scrubs with oil and sugar are excellent for making them soft. Find out how to protect your lips with the most suitable products.
Allergy… To the kiss
For some people, kissing can be really risky. Not because there is an “allergy to kissing”, but because some food allergies can also undermine this gesture. «If a person who is intolerant to certain foods (such as nuts, milk and eggs) gives a passionate kiss to a partner who has previously eaten them, he may incur an allergic reaction», explains Domenico Schiavino (you can ask him for a consultation here). , professor of allergy at the Catholic University of Rome. A rare but possible eventuality: in 2012 it happened to a little girl from Montreal, who died of an anaphylactic shock caused by residues of peanuts on the lips of the boy she had just kissed. Without reaching such a tragic consequence, allergy symptoms usually resolve themselves in a swelling of the lips and tongue, hives or difficulty breathing: in the latter case it is advisable to go to the emergency room immediately. Prevention? “In the two or three hours preceding moments of intimacy, it is good to ask your partner not to eat foods to which he is allergic” advises the OK expert. In the name of love, some sacrifices can be made.
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