“The most beautiful smile is a smiling heart.”
~ Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq
Hugs are a powerful form of touch, and numerous scientific studies have examined their positive effects on us humans. Results show they indisputably benefit our health. Following is a selection of noteworthy findings:
Hugs Improve Our Physical, Psychological and Relational Health
According to a 2018 research paper by Murphy MLM, Janicki-Deverts D, Cohen S. (2018), affectionate non-sexual touch such as hugs and holding hands is currently an important up and coming area of study.
And according to their findings, people who enjoy more of this kind of touch also get to “enjoy better physical, psychological, and relational health.”
The researchers stopped short of saying that hugs and touch can help us live longer, but hopefully that question will be addressed in future studies.
Hugs Benefit Our Mood
The same researchers above also note that getting a hug can help benefit our mood, something we all probably knew already, but now it’s official.
Hugs Protect Our Physical Health
According to research in 2014 by Sheldon Cohen and others, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, the amount of hugs we receive positively affects our physical health and makes us better protected from “infection and illness-related symptoms.”
Hugs Protect Us Against Stress
Also, in the same research above, hugging helps protect us “against the pathogenic effects of stress.”
With stress being a risk factor for heart disease and other ailments, this is good news.
Touch Decreases Blood Pressure and Increases Oxytocin, the Love and Feel Good Hormone
According to the 2010 review of Touch for socioemotional and physical well-being, by Tiffany Field of Touch Research Institute, University of Miami, School of Medicine – physiological and biochemical effects of touch include decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, decreased cortisol (the primary stress hormone), and increased oxytocin which is the love and feel good hormone.
Massage – A Popular Form Of Touch – Enhances Alertness And Improves Math Skills
Massage is known to have a multitude of benefits. But these researchers had a surprising find.
A 1996 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, found that the group who received massage showed enhanced alertness, performed math faster, with greater accuracy and had lower levels of anxiety.
Citation: Tiffany Field, Gail Ironson, Frank Scafidi, Tom Nawrocki, Alex Goncalves, Iris Burman, Jeff Pickens, Nathan Fox, Saul Schanberg & Cynthia Kuhn (1996) Massage Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Enhances Eeg Pattern of Alertness and Math Computations, International Journal of Neuroscience, 86:3-4, 197-205, DOI: 10.3109/00207459608986710
As new research gets published we will continue updating this page with noteworthy information.