Kissing is good for you.

At a young age most boys and girls think they’ll catch “cooties” from each other.  Gross, right?

Actually, according to an NBC interview with Mimi Secor a nurse at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, it is a medically proven fact that kissing is good for you.  Not only emotionally is kissing beneficial, but there are also physical benefits to be reaped.

One of the main advantages of kissing is the fact that it is a stress-reducer.

“We are always on, 24/7, and nobody has down time anymore, so kissing helps ease our stress,” Secor says. “It also gives us sense of well-being,” she tells NBC news.  Kissing reduces cortisol in the body which is a stress-causing hormone.  Keeping a natural balance of cortisol helps regulate our sugar levels and also boost our immune system.  Too much cortisol can adversely affect the body, so kissing can actually lower blood pressure, and prevent weight gain and even depression.

Chemical balances in the body are affected while kissing. The lips contain many nerve receivers that transmit messages to the brain.  While kissing, the message the lips transmit to the brain release oxytocin.  Oxytocin is a hormone that produces a sense of calm and pacification, causing people who kiss to be more relaxed.  Oxytocin promotes a healthy mind set and lifts your spirits.  Not only this, but the exchange of saliva during a kiss promotes good oral health including the reduction of oral plaque and gum disease.

Among other benefits, the very motion and movements your face executes while kissing can reduce the chance of fine lines on the face later in life. The active motion of these facial muscles is very similar to the active motion our bodies go through during a workout, to strengthen our muscles.  These mini workouts promote tissue growth and overall firmness around the mouth, therefore preventing the possibility of wrinkles around the mouth or cheeks.  These mini workouts not only reduce lines on the face but can burn calories as well.  Long kisses have been proven to burn about two calories per minute.

So, the next time you see PDA in the hallways and your first thought is “Ewwww” just remember, what you may be witnessing is not gross at all – it’s just two people engaged in a facial and emotional workout.