Kissing: "Honey, I have a headache. Can you make it go away?"

The kiss. Romance writers describe it all the time. But what is it exactly? It seems to be more than just lip on lip action. Because it feels like so much more, I did a little research and it turns out kissing doesn't just feel fantastic it's also good for you. So pucker up and get healthy.

“As his lips brushed over hers, she knew she’d just burned off the calories of a Tic Tac.” As the heart beats faster it releases adrenaline, also known as epinephrine and other neurotransmitters in the blood. The boost in adrenaline increases your metabolism and helps burn calories. A study by Dr. Alexander DeWees showed “a passionate kiss, lasting about twenty seconds can burn up to 2-3 calories per minute.”

 “Kiss my ass.” or “Kiss me baby.” Want to feel better emotionally? During a lip-lock the brain releases dopamine and which is responsible for feelings of desire and bonding, and serotonin that elevates your mood. The feelings and emotions stirred up, and molecules and chemicals released throughout the body from a kiss can heal emotional “boo boos.”

“Honey, I have a headache. Can you make it go away?” After a long day do you have a little back pain? If so, take 2 kisses and skip the pain reliever. Kissing releases natural chemicals in the body called endorphins that can be more powerful than the narcotic morphine to relieve pain.

*SMOOCH* “Wow, I feel very relaxed.” In the moments of a great kiss, the chaos of the outside world is quiet, there’s silence in the mind, and the body relaxes and releases stress away. A kiss lowers stress by decreasing the body’s cortisol levels also known as the stress hormone. At the same time kissing stimulates the brain and creates a sense of peace and calmness by altering the body’s oxytocin levels.

“My skin treatment? I’ll never tell.” Kissing involves 34 facial muscles, and 112 postural muscles and helps to keep your face toned. The most important muscle involved in the peck is the orbicularis oris – as it puckers the lips.

“I love kissing you way more than going to the dentist.” Throw in a little tongue and you may keep the dentist away forever. Kissing increases saliva production and this saliva washes away bacteria that can cause cavities, tooth decay, and plaque build-up.

“Forget the Kleenex, give me your lips.” Kissing decreases IgE antibodies in the blood that are responsible for the release of histamine. Histamine release in the blood stream causes allergy symptoms such as sneezing and watery eyes. Therefore, more kissing means less sneezing and histamine release.

 “Kissing is better than Crestor.” Kissing keeps your blood pressure & cholesterol level low. A study of cohabiting and married couples showed an increased frequency of kissing decreased stress, increased relationship satisfaction, and decreased cholesterol levels. Stress is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Therefore kisses keep you heart healthy with a one two punch by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels and stabilizing the cardiovascular system.

 “Kiss me baby. I feel a cold coming on.” Swapping spit means swapping germs and that is nature’s natural vaccination. Being exposed to others’ germs your body makes antibodies against those germs, which can in turn lead to immunity and prevent illness.

 “A diamond is forever, but kisses will help you live longer.” Kissing your man goodbye in the morning can increase his life by 5 years. It’s true, studies have shown men live longer when they are married, and kiss their spouse or partner goodbye in the morning. Sorry ladies, the same is not true for us. But a great kiss can curl your toes and leave you wanting more when he comes home.