The Surprising Health Benefits Of Kissing

Now that we’re in Valentines season, whether you’re single or shacked up, it’s hard to escape the visuals of kissing. A peck, a little smooch, a full on snog… It’s a great time for locking lips.

However, did you know that kissing can actually be very beneficial for your health and provide lots of benefits for our bodies beyond, y’know, just being a pretty sexy thing to do?

Speaking to Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken on the BBC Sounds What’s Up Docs? Podcast, Dr Matilda Brindle, an evolutionary biologist shared what our bodies actually exchange when we kiss for nine seconds or more.

Dr Brindle says: “When people kiss for over nine seconds, there’s around 80 million bacteria transferred… A lot of the bacteria we have in our mouths can be really healthy for us. So we’re sharing that [healthy] load through kissing.”

In fact, the biologist revealed that it can be just as beneficial as a probiotic yoghurt.

I must say, 80 million bacteria doesn’t sound particularly sexy but it is heartening to know that I’m sharing good bacteria with my partner.

A 2024 study published in Nature found that physical affection, such as kissing, may benefit blood pressure. Additionally, the release of oxytocin during kissing causes your blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow and in turn, blood pressure.

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), headache is among the most common neurological reasons for attending Emergency departments in the UK.

Healthline says: “That dilation of blood vessels and lowered blood pressure can also relieve headaches. Kissing may also help prevent headaches by reducing stress, a known trigger.”

Speaking to Web MD, Bryant Stamford, PhD, professor and director of the health promotion centre at the University of Louisville says that kissing is a “sensual meditation”, adding: “It stops the buzz in your mind, it quells anxiety, and it heightens the experience of being present in the moment. It actually produces a lot of the physiological changes that meditation produces.”