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The Magical Health Benefits of Kissing

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Mya McCann
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Rachel Miller
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

 

Kissing is fun.

When I am kissed, my heart flutters, my cheeks flush, and I feel a swell of euphoria, commonly known as the butterflies. 

In the movies I grew up on, kissing had magical powers.

True Love’s Kiss could break any curse; Ariel needed Prince Eric’s kiss to become human and both Aurora and Snow White were saved by kisses. 

When talking about the health benefits of kissing, it would be unromantic to conflate kissing into a discussion about the biological reasons. Therefore, I argue that kisses have magical powers–magical powers that can benefit your health.
 
Below are the five magical health benefits to kissing:
 
1. Kissing Fights Cavaties
When you’re kissing, you’re not just exchanging saliva with your partner, but you’re also secreting more of your own saliva. That extra saliva washes away the plaque on your teeth, reducing your risk of forming cavaties. Since kissing can be good for your oral health, it is arguable that more kissing will lead to a better smile. Abracadabra!
 
 
 
2. Kissing Boosts Self Esteem And Reduces Stress
Okay, this one might seem obvious. In a German study done on kissing it was found that men who received loving kisses from their wives before going to work ended up making more money than the men who went without kisses. Men with kisses left their homes happier and more confident, so they were able to perform better on the job. According to research cited by Dr. Mercola, people who spent six weeks making kissing a priority with their partners reported greater relationship satisfaction and significant decreases in their levels of stress.
 
 
 
 
3. Kissing Can Make You Look Younger
You can think of kissing as a sort of face exercise or youth spell. Deep kissing works out muscles that tone the neck and jawline; it also releases the same rush of happy horomones we get from exercising: serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. Kissing is like a magical face lift! I bet it’s how Johnny Depp stays so suave.
 
 
 
 
4. Kissing Is Actually Good For Your Heart
Besides being good for your metaphorical, emotional, symbolical heart, kissing is also good for your anatomical heart! Kissing helps lower your blood pressure because it releases epinephrine into your blood; that gets your heartbeat revved, your blood pumping and your blood vessels dilated.
 
 
 
 
5. Kissing Boosts Your Immune System
Before Gerber, babies received the nutrients needed to grow up properly by kiss-feeding, the exchange of chewed food from one mouth to another. Exchanging pre-masticated food starts the digestion process and makes vitamins more absorbable. Kissing has also been shown to reduce allergic responses in people with skin or nasal allergies.
 
 
 
So there you have it: evidence to support the magic of kisses. I encourage you to spread the love.
 
 
 
 
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Mya McCann is a fourth year literature student in the College of Creative Studies at UCSB. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand and is in the business of running BKK. On the weekends you can find Mya either in the jungle or on an island. On the weekdays she studies Thai and Buddhism and teaches English to sex workers in the red light district. You can follow her adventures on IG: MyaJoy
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Rachel is a senior at UC Santa Barbara and studies Communication and Global Peace and Security. Rachel is from a small, beautiful town in southern California called Palos Verdes. However, Palos Verdes is just one of the many places Rachel has lived. Rachel spent her childhood moving and traveling all over the world, living in places such as Indianapolis, Indiana; Santiago, Chile; Vienna, Austria; and Orlando, Florida. Rachel has found her heart and her home in California, choosing to spend her college years in sunny Santa Barbara. However, Rachel continued her wanderlust when she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in Fall 2012. At UCSB, Rachel is an immensely dedicated and involved member of her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she held the positions of Panhellenic Delegate, Inter-Greek Counselor, Rho Gam, and a member of the Nominating Slate. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is a passion of Rachel's, as she is their Social Media Coordinator as well as an active and proud member. As a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society, Rachel is able to implement her prowess and affinity for communication and communication-related issues. When Rachel is not writing, participating in Kappa events, or volunteering, you can find her in the gym, on the soccer field, watching Modern Family, or cooking. Rachel's love for sports, food, and writing often times go hand-in-hand, as one may see in her weekly blogs. For the past two summers, Rachel has been freelance writing for the Los Angeles Times, and hopes to continue her career pursuit of journalism after she graduates. Rachel is elated to be a part of Her Campus's fabulous team and loves every moment of it!