Health Benefits of Smooching

Did you know there are health benefits of kissing? Match.com has listed six health benefits of smooching you may not realize.

•  Benefit #1: Kissing can break down oral plaque and prevent cavities by stimulating the creation of saliva, which helps wash bacteria away from the tooth’s surface.

•  Benefit #2: Kissing helps you keep a younger-looking face because you use over 30 facial muscles while kissing, which helps to keep muscles smooth and tight and prevents your cheeks from sagging

•  Benefit #3: Kissing boosts your metabolism, which can help burn calories. During a really passionate kiss, you can burn anywhere from two to five calories per minute, which is double your normal resting rate

•  Benefit #4: Your immune system gets a healthy boost, since being exposed to someone else’s germs causes your body to create antibodies against those germs, which can in turn lead to immunity and prevent illness

•  Benefit #5: Kissing improves our mood by releasing the antidepressant, oxytocin. A study of cohabiting and married couples showed that an increased frequency of kissing decreases stress and cholesterol levels

•  Benefit #6: Kissing provides a natural form of pain relief by releasing natural chemicals in the body called endorphins, which can be more powerful than morphine to relieve pain.

[via Match]