Kisses, together with hugs and caresses, are acts of love, acts that when we receive them from the person we desire, do not make us feel really good. Kisses produce pleasant sensations and can leave you breathless or give you goose bumps. They are messages from the heart, and are more sincere and profound than words. Kisses are unique experiences and can be unforgettable .

There are different types of kisses, from the most romantic or passionate to the most loving and warm.

  • If you want to know the different kinds of kisses, you can read our article: “Types of kisses: the 9 different kisses and their meaning”

Benefits of Kissing

In this article you can find the nine benefits of kissing and why they are so important for us and for our physical, emotional and psychological health.

1. They help in the survival of the species

Kisses are not only pleasant, they may also have an adaptive function . That is why experts in evolutionary psychology claim that we are biologically programmed to kiss, since displays of affection can be key to the survival of the human species.

In addition, according to Sheril Kirshenbaum of the University of Texas and author of the book The Science of Kissing: “Kissing produces chemical reactions in our brain that mobilize our body. There is an exchange of saliva in which the testosterone in men acts as an aphrodisiac in women”. We all know how important procreation is so that the human species does not disappear, and, without a doubt, kissing and sex are closely linked.

2. Closing the Loop

Human beings are social beings, and kisses have the power to keep us together . We kiss those we love, as if it were an uncontrollable impulse. We kiss our children whenever we can, giving them the message of how much we love them and how important they are to us, and we also kiss our partner because something inside us moves us to do so.

While it is true that, on many occasions, we kiss strangers to introduce ourselves and show ourselves as educated people, love provokes in us a desire to kiss, and when we kiss, we release hormones such as oxytocin, which are related to affection and trust.

3. Reduces blood pressure

B esarse is not only good for the heart of love, but also for your vital organ . According to Andrea Demirjian, author of the book Kisses: Everything you ever wanted to know about one of life’s sweetest pleasures. “Kissing is an intimate experience with remarkable health benefits. A passionate kiss increases the heartbeat in a healthy way and helps to lower blood pressure”.

In addition, the expert says that “kisses dilate the blood vessels, the blood flows in a fluid and firm way, and reaches all your vital organs”.

4. Reduces pain

Some studies claim that kisses have an analgesic effect and reduce different types of pain : head, back, menstrual cramps… After a hard day’s work, one can come home tired and with neck pain after a tense day at the office. When you get home, but, the couple’s kisses can have a positive effect on the person, making them feel good.

Experts say that kissing and being kissed releases some opioid substances such as endorphins, which help us feel better and are related to pleasant sensations. In other words, a good kiss could act like morphine but without its side effects. There is no better medicine than a good kiss.

5. Reduces stress

Stress is one of the great evils of today , but kissing seems to have a positive effect on this phenomenon, which helps to improve people’s well-being considerably. The cause seems to be that kissing reduces the hormone cortisol, which is related to stress.

  • If you want to know more about this hormone, you can read our article: “Cortisol: the hormone that generates stress”

6. Helping to tune up in the search for a partner

A curious study is the one carried out by psychologist Gordon Gallup from the University of Albany, together with Susan Hughes and Marissa Harrison, and entitled “The Psychobiology of the Romantic Kiss”.

According to the results of this research, the exchange of saliva that takes place during a kiss would provide genetic information that would help to identify potential partners for correct reproduction, because it would allow the exchange of information and evaluate whether there is a degree of genetic compatibility between the two people and whether the relationship is worthwhile. This is a controversial study that seems to forget the social factors associated with the search for a partner, and which will have to be replicated in order to know in more detail if these results are repeated.

7. Improves sexual relations

Kisses are an important part of sexual relations and they certainly enhance the intimate experience . According to a study by the University of Albany, women have the need to kiss before and after a sexual encounter, while men are more likely to have sex without the mediation of a kiss. Far from these results, it is clear that kissing intensifies the sensations and makes the sexual encounter much better.

8. Improves the immune system

Kissing improves the immune system according to different studies. One study suggests that kissing, in the case of women, helps protect against cytomegalovirus that could cause childhood blindness or other birth defects during pregnancy when contracted by mouth-to-mouth. In addition, some studies claim that the exchange of germs from saliva could cause a person’s immune system to improve against these same germs.

However, kissing can be a source of contagion of some diseases such as mononucleosis, so you should always be careful when you are intimate with someone.

9. Helps you feel better

As I said, kissing helps release endorphins, hormones related to well-being and pleasure. It also releases other neurochemicals such as serotonin (low levels of this neurotransmitter are related to depression) or dopamine, neurochemicals related to happiness and repetitive behaviour. Kissing activates the brain region related to drug use: the area of reinforcement.