Valentine’s Day is here, and while chocolates and flowers are classic, there’s another way to show love, one that’s surprisingly good for your health. That’s right: kissing isn’t just romantic, it’s scientifically beneficial.
Did you know couples spend over four hours each year locked in a smooch, sharing an average of five kisses a day, according to new research commissioned by Yakult. And it turns out, the length of a kiss varies by region: Londoners linger the longest with an average of 15 seconds per kiss, while those in the East of England barely get 4 seconds in. In Wales, couples pucker up most often, averaging 42 kisses a week, compared to 24 in the North East.
Singles, it seems, are more passionate kissers: they clock 1,825 kisses a year, compared to 1,460 among married couples. And even if you did magically know all of this, did you know this all actually goes to boosting your immune system?
Dr. Naomi Middleton, Clinical Psychologist specializing in gut health, explains that kissing does more than spark romance. “What we know is that actually kissing plays a surprising role in balancing our gut micro biome and therefore helping our overall digestive health,” she says. “The reason is because when we’re kissing we get this direct exchange of oral bacteria, and that creates a shared oral micro biome which therefore is influencing our gut ecosystem and supporting immune resilience.”
Speaking of bacteria (and apologies in advance for any nausea this may cause), Dr. Naomi did also reveal that over 80 million bacteria get exchanged after one lip locking session. I’m aware that this doesn’t sound as persuasive but I’m sure this means it will all work out well in the end as long as the person isn’t sick or a complete jerk of course.
And you can’t forget the emotional perks kissing can bring.
“When we’re kissing someone and having that intimate closeness, that connection with others as humans, we sort of thrive on that social and close connection,” Dr. Middleton continues. “What it releases is oxytocin, sometimes known as the love hormone, and when we have more of this in our body, it’s really beneficial to our nervous system. It helps to calm everything down, build resilience in our health, and all of that in turn helps to support our gut health as well, because we have this two-way communication going on between how we feel emotionally and how our gut is.”
So this Valentine’s Day, a loving peck could do more than say “I love you”; it might also boost your health. So whether it’s a long, lingering kiss or a quick goodnight peck, make time to pucker up this Valentine’s Day.
Your heart… and your gut will thank you.
Written by Debra Oh, Edited by Noah Blackham, Photography by WHstudio Leushin N, Published by Debra Oh at Insanity Radio 103.2FM