Kissing, a love ritual that reduces stress and anxiety

Kissing has many health benefits. Passionately, this emotional expression exercises more than 30 facial muscles and keeps them toned, it also reduces the appearance of expression lines, helps you lose weight, and reduces stress and anxiety.

The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines the word kiss as touching or pressing someone or something with a movement of the lips as an expression of love, desire or reverence, or as a greeting.

The researcher at the Iztacala Faculty of Higher Studies, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Nélida Padilla Gámez highlights that in Western culture, in Latin America and in particular Mexicans, we have this behavior a lot, we even greet each other with kisses on the cheek.

This action becomes relevant as a sign of affection and a form of contact, connection and communication with other people.

“This is a behavior that has evolved over time. It is likely that in other times and cultures it did not prevail, which is why it lacks the same meaning, and it is not carried out the way we Westerners do. It is an expression that also has to do with culture and the historical and social context.“says the expert.

The university researcher points out that, in general, This manifestation is associated with happy moments and generates pleasure and well-being, in addition to improving self-esteem, burning calories, raising mood and activating blood circulation.

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From a psychoevolutionary point of view, this universal act that expresses love and appreciation “It has also had the function of keeping us gregariously, that is, as a way of uniting us“, Explain.

“When we talk about this celebration and the event itself, we think about the show of affection that couples profess to each other. However, there are also those that we give to family and friends. In fact, since we are babies we receive this demonstration as evidence of affection and love.“, dice.

Nélida Padilla says that kisses can be accompanied by hugs. “This has to do with that phenomenon we call skin hunger. That is, with the human need to have physical contact“.

The specialist explains that from a biological point of view, Kissing allows humans to exchange pheromones, chemicals that play a crucial role in attraction and mate selection, in addition to releasing oxytocin, known as the love hormone, which fosters bonding and connection between people.

“Kissing and being kissed is therapeutic“, highlights Padilla Gámez.