Top 10 Health Benefits of Kissing

March 31, 2009 at 7:00 AM by Guest Editor - Comments (4)

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Need an excuse to smooch? Studies have proven that kissing has many health advantages. Now that's some research that I have no problem conducting!

1. Kissing is great for your self-esteem.
2. Kissing burns calories, approximately 2-3 calories a minute. I think I'm going to start a diet...a kissing diet.
3. Kissing is a known stress-reliever. Passionate kissing relieves tension, reduces negative energy, and produces a sense of well being, lowering your stress hormones.
4. Kissing uses 30 facial muscles and it helps keep those muscles tight, preventing baggy cheeks.
5. Those who kiss their partner goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who don't.
6. Kissing is good for the heart because it creates adrenaline which causes your heart to pump more blood throughout your body. Frequent kissing has been scientifically proven to stabilize cardiovascular activity, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol.
7. Kissing reduces anxiety and stops the "noise" in your mind. It increases the levels of oxytocin, a calming hormone, that produces a peaceful feeling.
8. Those who kiss frequently are less likely to suffer from stomach, bladder, and blood infections.
9. The extra saliva produced during a kiss helps break down oral plaque.
10. The endorphins produced by kissing are 200 times more powerful than morphine.

So all those times that I made out with a guy on a first date I can write off as trying to stay healthy, right?  Ladies, are you getting your daily dose of lip-locking?

FILED UNDER: healthy habits, sex life