Philematologists (scientists involved in the scientific study of the nature of kisses) cannot say with complete certainty why people kiss. According to the most plausible theory, this phenomenon arose as a result of the transfer of chewed food by female primates to their infants directly from mouth to mouth.
The resulting contact could be transferred to a person in the process of evolution, not only as a mechanism for survival, but also as a way to strengthen social ties and express love.
Since the time of the caveman, the meaning of kissing has changed a lot. Kissing, which we associate with courtship, helps us choose the right partner and create strong relationships through the transmission of chemical signals. All this is extremely important for achieving the ultimate goal of evolution – procreation. No wonder people stop kissing after a few years of marriage—they just don’t need to.
How kissing affects health
Kissing is inextricably linked with three senses: sexuality, which is controlled by testosteronethe pleasure for which is responsible dopamineand attachment, for the development of which it is necessary oxytocin.
The saliva we exchange during passionate kisses contains testosterone. During kissing, the body receives a dose hormones which help to generate feelings.
Kissing lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Kissing has a lasting effect – the longer you kiss, the lower your cortisol levels.
Kissing is of great importance for improving the condition of the whole organism. And not in an erotic or sexual sense at all. Lips are an unusually sensitive organ, covered with thin skin and many nerve endings that capture all tactile impulses and transmit them further.
A passionate kiss spurs growing arousal, and this, in turn, speeds up breath and pulse. The body receives more oxygen, and the raging blood spreads faster throughout the body.
When blood circulates faster, it passes through the brain faster, which captures pleasant sensations, which means they begin to stand out. endrophins. As a result, we feel euphoria and joy.
The tongue involved in the French kiss awakens the nerve endings in the mouth and the signals of pleasure passing through the spinal cord make the glands that secrete adrenaline work more actively. In addition, several thousand taste buds are located on the tongue, and with the help of smell, we feel pheromonesthat inflame our sexuality.
The pleasant feeling of goosebumps in the groin during a particularly passionate kiss is not an illusion at all. It is in the groin that the receptors on the lips and in the mouth transmit signals.
kiss statistics
- During our life we kiss at least 20 thousand times, and in the process of these kisses we exchange 40 thousand microorganisms, 250 types of bacteria, 70 grams of protein and 0.45 grams of fat.
- With each decade, the time of a kiss for mankind is lengthening. While in the 80s the average kiss lasted 5.5 seconds, today the pleasant time has extended to 12 seconds.
- In the period of our life (about 70 years), we kiss for about 110 thousand minutes, which in total gives 76 days and 8 hours.
- Another interesting fact: those people who kiss daily with a partner live on average 5 years longer and earn 30% more than those who do not kiss in marriage.
7 benefits of kissing
1. Kissing lowers cholesterol and lowers blood pressure
By kissing regularly, you help your body lower blood cholesterol levels and normalize high blood pressure. arterial pressure. This reduces the risk of a heart attack. kisses awaken powerful emotions, what is good gymnastics for the heart muscle, especially for people with heart rhythm problems.
2. Kissing stimulates 34 facial muscles
So nice gymnastics makes the muscles more elastic and the face smooth. Thanks to kisses, electrical impulses from the brain are sent to all the muscles of the face. This encourages the muscles to work hard, which restores their elasticity and prevents aging.
At the same time, stressed muscles relax. In addition, kissing eliminates wrinkles! And since the blood flows faster, the face is covered with a healthy blush.
If you add sparkling eyes and plump lips to this, it turns out that kissing is the perfect natural make-up, massage and anti-aging treatment in one!
3. Kissing helps you lose weight
In just 5 seconds, a gentle kiss helps burn 12 kilocalories. Joking aside – Western nutritionists do recommend instead diets kiss regularly! 3 daily sessions of kissing for 5 seconds can relieve a person of average weight from a kilogram per month.
4. Kissing helps you choose the perfect partner
Kissing allows us to get close enough to a partner to appreciate him. This process occurs without the participation of consciousness. Chemical communication occurs with the participation of pheromones – substances that are secreted by the glands of external secretion.
Scientists have hypothesized that pheromones play just as important a role in human behavior as they do in animals, which use pheromones to attract the attention of the opposite sex, to signal food sources or imminent danger.
5. Kissing prevents insomnia
Kissing is not only a way to choose the perfect partner. We like kissing simply because it feels good. When we kiss, the hormone oxytocin is released into the blood, which strengthens the feeling of intimacy. Conversely, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop. This allows fall asleep faster and sleep better.
6. Kiss increases the body’s resistance to viral diseases
The saliva of each of us contains more than 80% of standard bacteria and 20% of “unique”. When we kiss, we exchange saliva and the bacteria in it. Our immune system immediately recognizes unfamiliar bacteria and creates antibodies that protect us from disease.
Thus, it was kissing that helped the species of homo sapiens survive.. The exchange of bacterial flora and viruses most easily occurs when you touch your lips. Kisses become a kind of vaccine – they force our immunity to produce antibodies for all new small doses of the virus.
7. Kissing helps with hiccups
There is no need to drink liters of water or hold your breath. A simple kiss will do just as well for hiccups, and you’ll also enjoy the process.
8. Kissing is good for your teeth.
During a kiss, the salivary glands are activated, and saliva, especially when there is a lot of it, has an antibacterial effect.
Did you kiss today?
