This Wednesday (6th), one of the Days of the Kiss is celebrated, being an international commemorative date since the beginning of the 2000s. Another date is the 13th of April, being the best known. And there is also the 13th of February (the day before Valentine's Day in much of the world – and which marked the longest kiss ever recorded, which lasted 58 hours and was performed by a Thai couple during a contest).
Just this situation of more than one date to love the kiss already shows the importance of the gesture, which, in addition to the meaning of affection and love, still brings us health benefits. And of course, despite the good things awakened when we kiss, it's always important to take proper care.
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Activating hormones and neurotransmitters a kiss
Among the benefits that kissing brings us, there is the activation of hormones and neurotransmitters in our brain, such as oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. To give you an idea of what is at stake here, oxytocin is known as “the hormone of love”. It is associated with the way people unite and trust each other.
Meanwhile, dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation and thinking. She's linked to that nice feeling when we set an exciting or important goal, and why it's pleasant to achieve it. Kiss-activated serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in mood. In addition to being associated with happiness, it helps to regulate other functions of our body, digestion, sleep and bone health.
Kissing to save lives
Kissing is also an agent that “attacks” cortisol. This hormone is released during stressful situations and, according to cardiologist Valério Vasconcelos, “it can cause death in people who already have cardiovascular diseases”. And speaking of the heart, when we are kissing, our heartbeat accelerates along with the metabolism, that is, there is an acceleration process in the burning of calories.
The kiss is also the result of moments of happiness, endorphins are also released, known as the “pleasure hormones”. They still act as natural painkillers, minimizing pain. In other words, “beija, que sara”, or something like that.
Affection and care
Kissing is very good for expressions of affection, appreciation, love and health. And in this line, it is also important to remember that it is always necessary to take care of health and oral hygiene. Among the main diseases related to kissing, there are herpes, the flu, chickenpox, syphilis and even Covid-19. All transmitted by means of saliva.
Although they are, in most cases, short-lived, these diseases can cause problems that are a little more annoying, including more serious infections, spreading to the rest of our body. In addition, the mouth is the largest gateway to the human body for bacteria and, when poorly cared for, it can also be the perfect place for fungal proliferation.
So, whether it's today, or April, or even whenever you want, the Kiss Day that really represents the love due must be picked up from a proper brushing of teeth. It is also good to make frequent use of dental floss or interdental cleaners. And health professionals always claim that brushing the tongue is essential for hygiene.
Image: IMAGE-WS/Pixabay/CC
