Hugs, cuddles and more importantly, kisses, come with strong feelings. It has a familiar aura of intimacy around it too.

Here is the thing – not many couples or partners know just how beneficial a regular kiss can be.

In fact, this has been backed up by some very real, science-proven evidence.

Below are some of them:

 

Kissing rids teeth of harmful bacteria

A cosmetic dentist in New York City, Sivan Finkel, has disclosed that kissing leads to increased saliva production, which helps our teeth rid themselves of harmful bacteria. “The extra saliva helps remineralize teeth and protect them from acid attacks,” he says.

 

Kissing boosts immune system

More than 700 types of bacteria have been found in the human mouth, but no two people have the exact same makeup of oral germs, so exchanging saliva with someone can introduce new “foreign” bacteria into your body, which isn’t a bad thing.

“Trillions of microorganisms live on or inside us, and collectively they’re known as the microbiome,” says Shilpa Ravella, M.D., a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Ravella points to a recent Dutch study that found that when we kiss for more than 10 seconds, about 80 million bacteria are transferred between us and our partner, which can introduce new and sometimes helpful bacteria into our mouths.

 

Kissing helps to lower anxiety

It is a fact that we fret too often. From a chemical standpoint, one of the primary health benefits of kissing is its ability to release the hormone oxytocin (known as the love hormone).

According to Stephanie Hartselle, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Brown University, who cites its ability to induce a sense of calm, relaxation, and bonding in humans. The hormone, which is also released during foreplay and orgasm, “has been shown to be as powerful as meditation and many antianxiety medications in producing a feeling of peace and contentment,” Dr. Hartselle says.

Research has also shown that kissing reduces the chemical cortisol, which is associated with stress.

 

Kissing lessens allergic reactions

Bet you never knew making out could help ease itchy symptoms that come with nasal or skin allergies.

In 2006 allergist Hajime Kimata studied 24 patients with two types of allergies—mild atopic eczema (a skin allergy) and mild allergic rhinitis (a nasal allergy)—before and after they had kissed lovers or spouses for 30 minutes while listening to soft music.

 

“Usually, when you have an allergy, your body overreacts by producing IgE, an antibody to a specific allergen,” says Srini Pillay, M.D., a Harvard psychiatrist. “But in these groups, after kissing, this antibody was decreased, thereby decreasing the allergic reaction and symptoms.”

 

Kissing can help lower blood pressure

Dr Ryan Neinstein, a plastic surgeon in New York City, disclosed that our lips are made up of blood vessels, which become dilated during kissing. “The blood is then directed toward the face and away from the rest of the body,” he says, “so the demand on the heart goes down, resulting in lower blood pressure.”

Also, remember that fact about cortisol? When your cortisol level is lower, so is your blood pressure. “The more you kiss, the more your heart races, and the more your blood flows, ultimately reducing high blood pressure,” Dr. Neinstein says.

 

Kissing helps delay signs of ageing

Another reason to kiss as much as possible: The increased blood flow to your face can stimulate collagen production and contribute to anti-ageing.

“The higher blood flow increases the number of small blood vessels helping to nourish the machinery of the skin,” Dr. Neinstein says. It also stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, which is the substance “that beautiful skin is made of.”

“In order to move your lips, your whole face has to get involved, which increases elasticity,” Dr. Neinstein says. “Have you seen face yoga or facercises? There are yogis, estheticians, and dermatologists training women to do exercises for their face to stimulate collagen and lessen the need for a face-lift. Passionate kissing can lead to firming the face, especially its bottom half.”

 

It increases your sex drive

This should excite many because it is obvious, but Rachel Abrams, M.D., an integrative health expert and author, points out that testosterone—the hormone responsible for sex drive in both women and men—is released into saliva during prolonged kissing.

“In a study, males were more likely than females to initiate open-mouth kissing and kissing with tongue contact, and male saliva contains measurable amounts of the sex hormone testosterone, which can affect libido,” Dr. Abrams says. “Testosterone is also an antidepressant, and it helps with mental focus.”

Another fun fact: Women who kiss other women also exchange testosterone, since we’ve got it too. So whether your partner is male or female, you’re sharing hormones and pheromones.