Smooch for your health

I was reading an article today about the health benefits of kissing, so I decided to search the net a little and see what I can find. Turns out it's true... Here's some snippets from what I dug up.

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German physicians and psychologists have concluded that those who kiss their spouse each morning miss less work because of illness than those who do not. Those who kiss also have fewer auto accidents on the way to work, earn 20 to 30 percent more monthly and live approximately five years longer. Dr. Arthur Sazbo, one of the German psychologists, says the reason behind the good fortune is those who have a morning kiss begin the day with a positive attitude.

Therefore, if you want to be happy, healthy, successful, and live longer, you should kiss your loved one before you go to work each day.

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Matthew Messina, DDS, a dentist and consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, says the extra saliva produced during kissing washes bacteria off your teeth, which can help break down oral plaque. Bryant Stamford, PhD, director of the health promotion center at the University of Louisville notes kissing can help you lose calories. "During a really, really passionate kiss," he says, "you might lose two calories a minute - double your metabolic rate."

Stress relief is another health benefit of kissing. Psychologist Joy Davidson, PhD, likens kissing to meditation. "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," she says. The fact that kissing leads to touching is also a good thing. Touching and massaging release oxytocin, a hormone known to have a calming effect on the body.

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So for all of you out there that feel like you're not getting enough smooches from your significant other, there's some medical "facts" from the great bastian of all facts -- the Internet -- that you can spout to them. I'm sure your significant other will find your knowledge so romantic and attractive that the kisses will just flow like water... yeah, that's it.