Ever had a kiss that swept you off your feetâthe kind that leaves you light-headed, with your fingers and toes tingling? Turns out those post-pucker-up butterflies arenât the only benefits of a big smooch; kisses can actually help keep you healthy! As if you needed another reason to lay one on your crush from psych classâŠ
According to AndrĂ©a Demirjian, author of Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About One of Lifeâs Sweetest Pleasures, kisses can do all kinds of wonders for the body. We asked Demirjianâaka âThe Kissing Expertââfor the best health benefits of puckering up.
1. It Lowers Your Blood Pressure
While no two kisses are the same, they all tend to do the same thing: get your heart pumping. That characteristic thump-thump you feel mid-make-out does more than set your spirits soaring; according to Demirjian, kissing âimmediately increases your heart rate but lowers your blood pressure.â The combination sends you into a more mellow state; you feel good, even zen, the way you would after a workout. Basically, itâs a feel-good aerobic activity that doesnât require spandex and running shoes!
It seems counterintuitive, though; why would your blood pressure lower if your heart rate is skyrocketing? Apparently, kissing gives you an adrenaline rush, and adrenaline makes your blood vessels dilate. Once your vessels are dilated, more blood can flow through the body, and your blood pressure stabilizes over time. âIf you were going to get your blood pressure taken at the doctorâs, you would probably [have] a perfect, healthy blood pressure level,â Demirjian says. No complaints here!
2. It Relieves Physical Pain
Letâs be honest, though: the last thing we want to think about while kissing is our blood vessels dilating. Itâs not exactly a sexy image, and there are so many other sexy things to focus on in the moment instead! Still, that dilation can do wonders when we need it mostâspecifically when weâre in pain.
âWhen weâre on our period and we have bad cramps, itâs because our blood vessels are constricted,â Demirjian says. âSo I know a lot of times when youâre not feeling too snappy with your period, the last thing you want to do is make out with anyone, but itâs actually the best thing for you because itâs a sort of natural way of taking a few Advil.â It isnât the only way of dealing with menstrual cramps, but itâs certainly the best way weâve heard of.
The same pain-relieving principle applies to headaches. Headaches can also caused by constricted blood vessels, and sexual stimulationâlike kissingâhelps loosen the pressure. So forget popping Midol and Advilâjust pucker up!
3. It Releases Happy Chemicals
Whether you call them warm fuzzies or butterflies in your stomach, you know the feeling: that âIâm-the-queen-of-the-worldâ kind of feeling you get after a top-notch smooch (some of you might even hear âA Whole New Worldâ playing softly somewhere… we arenât judging).
Well, it shouldnât come as a surprise that it isnât all in your head; kissing really does improve your mood, thanks to the fact that it triggers so-called âfeel-good chemicals.â
âKissing gets all of the happy serotonin [and] dopamine chemicals in the brain going,â Demirjian says. Serotonin puts you in a positive mood; dopamine helps the brain process pleasure, pain and emotion; and the third feel-good chemical kissing releases, oxytocin, affects feelings of attachment and affection. âAnd again, itâs like the same thing as a workout,â Demirjian explains. âYou know after a workout you have that kind of high, you feel kind of exhilarated, youâre clear-headed and you feel like youâre in a good mood? Kissing activates the same sort of reaction in the pituitary [gland] and [the rest of] the brain.â
Obviously, the effects arenât exactly the same as if you were to hit the treadmill for a half hour, but combined with the excitement of landing that perfect smooch, the âfeel-good chemicalsâ will send you soaring.
4. It Prevents Cavities
Kissing may not be a one-way ticket to pristine oral hygiene, but it definitely helps. According to Demirjian, kissing can mean fewer cavities!
âWhen youâre kissing frequently, youâre secreting a lot of saliva, and saliva is what really washes away plaque,â she explains. âSo youâre going to have [fewer] cavities, less tartar buildup [and] less gingivitis, so you have a healthier mouth.â
But donât drop your floss just yet, collegiettes (youâll probably be hard-pressed to find someone willing to smooch you with bad breath, for one thing). Clearly, kissing alone isnât enough to dig deep at that plaque in between your teethâand honestly, if youâre with someone who does possess those excavating kissing abilities, we highly suggest moving on!
5. It Improves Your Complexion
Sick of popping pimples? Try puckering up instead. Apparently, kissing keeps your pituitary gland in check, which can clear up your complexion. And kissing is so much more fun than pricey facials!
âThe brain is this insane operating center,â Demirjian explains. âItâs controlling your glands, your pituitaryâall of those things that, in our teen and adolescent years (and that can go into college, too), are creating more oil.â If youâre kissing on a more regular basis, the blood dilation in your face basically keeps things from getting clogged up. While kissing itself wonât clear up severe acne, it could prevent breakouts down the line.
Demirjian adds that, similar to how a lot of kissing keeps your lips rosy and plump, a lot of kissing keeps your cheeks rosy and fresh as well. Not to mention the fact that a cuddle-and-kiss sesh can tone down your anxiety come midterms (or anytime, really), and anxiety is known to lead to breakouts.
6. It Tightens Your Facial Muscles
Speaking of faces, it turns out that making out does more for your visage than just clear up your pores. Demirjian says it actually works your muscles, too. Finally, a workout for your face! We donât need it, of course, but itâs pretty cool that it happens on its own.
âVigorous kissing and making out basically keep your neck and jaw line in good shape and toned,â Demirjian says. âI tell a lot of women, âDonât be running to the plastic surgeonâjust make out a lot. Youâll get the same effect.ââ
Fortunately, we collegiettes donât need to be concerned with sagging skin. Still, itâs nice to know that stretching our necks for a kiss today may keep saggy skin at bay in the faraway future!
7. It Burns Calories
We know, we know: despite all of the amazing benefits of heart-pounding make-outs, kissing just doesnât have the same effects as hitting the gym (but a collegiette can dream!). Still, kissing does burn some calories, and every bit can count. According to Demirjian, you can burn around 11 calories in a hot-and-heavy, half-hour-long make-out session. Mind you, it has to be vigorous kissing, so donât use make-outs as an excuse to avoid workouts –at least, not all the time. Just rev up the passion in your free time and get going!
Not everyone has the ability to make out on a whimâmost of us arenât in relationships, and many of us havenât even been kissed yet. Whatever your statusâsingle, taken or in a serious relationship with Netflix, thanks very muchâyou can take comfort in the fact that your next kiss will reap some major health benefits. In Demirjianâs words, âA kiss a day keeps the doctor away!â