Hugs-helpers: how hugs improve health and help you lose weight

During the pandemic, people are wary of kissing and hugging, but no one forbade expressing their love in the family circle. However, doctors strongly advise you to use masks when communicating with relatives who do not live in the same house with you. While most countries in the world are in quarantine mode, scientists have found a lot of evidence of how hugging positively affects our body.

It turns out that hugs reduce the risk of heart disease, not to mention that they lift the mood and are great motivators. And these are not simple assumptions, but scientifically based facts. Our body reacts to the manifestations of love in a special way, which improves not only the mental, but also the physical condition.

Here are seven prime examples of how hugs make us healthier and happier.

Scientists have found that hugs trigger the production of the hormone oxytocin. It plays an important role in building social connections, affects the reproductive function and gives us the opportunity to feel loved and needed. Oxytocin enters the bloodstream in response to petting and reduces the acute feeling of loneliness.

Even one hug is enough to get rid of stress for the whole day. Stress has a very negative impact on our health, putting us at great risk of depression, anxiety, weight gain, and heart attacks.

During cuddling, the brain releases chemicals that help us feel safe and feel less threatened. If a stressful situation occurs after a hug, we do not respond to it with aggression, which saves us from nervous overstrain.

Hugs help to extinguish anger and end conflict. Because hugs produce oxytocin (the love hormone) and reduce stress, we just don't want to fight with someone after them.

When our body starts producing negative hormones, such as cortisol during stress, the immune system reacts to it as if it were a disease and begins to resist. As a result, we actually become more prone to diseases.

Because hugs reduce stress and depression, our immune system doesn't overreact and only gets stronger. A recent study found that people who regularly hug and feel social support are more likely to tolerate acute symptoms of illness.

Experts have long proven that the stress hormone cortisol causes a set of extra pounds. Every time we experience stress, the adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol, which causes glucose to enter the bloodstream. This is due to the fact that the body is trying to give a surge of energy to get out of a difficult situation. But, in fact, in modern conditions of life, this is not necessary.

Stress affects the ability to gain a healthy weight and does not allow you to lose weight, because after it, the blood sugar level immediately decreases. In this way, we pounce on sweets. In addition, the release of cortisol slows down the metabolism, which also has a negative effect on weight loss. Hugs that reduce cortisol levels help you lose weight, giving you a sense of calm and peace of mind.

Heart disease and high blood pressure are among the most common causes of death in the world. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina confirmed that those who regularly hug, during stressful situations, the pressure decreases and the pulse slows down. This significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.

Depression and anxiety are related to the brain's response to fear. An overabundance of stress hormones and an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone, together with a lack of melatonin and dopamine, cause anxiety and mood deterioration. Hugs can relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression, thanks to the release of oxytocin and dopamine (the hormone of joy), as well as reducing the production of cortisol.

For people suffering from depression and anxiety, isolation and loneliness become a real barrier to recovery. Therefore, try to hug as often as possible, even using masks and gloves. The pandemic will end soon, but you should always take care of your health.

Meanwhile, scientists also talk about the positive impact of training on consciousness. Regular visits to the gym increase blood flow, reduce cortisol levels, promote the release of endorphins and give self-confidence.