Can hugging help you lose weight and fight aging? 8 benefits of holding your own

Hugs can warm up people's feelings, but they can also make people jealous. From a medical point of view, hugs are very important for health, whether it is psychological support, fighting against diseases, or even controlling weight and anti-aging, they are all like a god!

At the 41st Golden Horse Awards ceremony, Lin Chi-ling, once the top model, hugged Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, making the two kings jealous and competing to help Lin Chi-ling put on her coat. I believe everyone has not forgotten this scene. What effect can a hug produce? Putting aside the media effects, there is an endless stream of medical research on hugs.

Hugging helps fight disease and prevents illness

Gynecologist Cai Fengbo said that hugging is helpful for both psychological support and fighting disease, mainly by increasing the number of macrophages in the immune system. Because of this effect, the body is more resistant to viral diseases such as colds.

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Studies have also shown that hugging can lower blood pressure and reduce appetite, thereby controlling weight. In addition, it can also stabilize sleep and reduce insomnia. These are all related to the increased secretion of serotonin due to hugging. We know that if insomnia causes a decrease in serotonin, we will eat and drink excessively. Studies have found that obesity caused by overeating is directly related to low serotonin.

In addition to increasing the secretion of serotonin, hugging can also balance the brain's dopamine system. Dopamine is responsible for providing a good feeling in the brain, and a stable dopamine system can make people feel happy, which also makes emotions more stable and makes people feel that they are in a safe state.

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At the same time, hugging also secretes oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that acts on the peripheral systems of the brain, giving people a sense of satisfaction while reducing anxiety and stress. Oxytocin is also a hormone secreted by pregnant women when they are about to give birth, which causes the uterus to contract.

Oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone". When a man looks at two photos of the same beautiful woman, one with oxytocin and one without oxytocin, the man feels differently about the two photos.

Hugging helps fight aging

There was once a study that asked two people to hug each other, and then used MRI and PET scans to find that the secretion of serotonin and oxytocin in the brain increased, thus producing an anti-aging effect. Especially after a man and a woman have sex, a 6-minute hug may determine whether your partner wants to have sex with you again.

According to a study by the University of Guelph in Canada, 71% of women who were hugged by men 6 minutes after having sex thought that sex was a pleasure; while for those who were not hugged, only a quarter thought that sex was wonderful; but there were still 17% of the respondents who said that they were not hugged after having sex. So, next time, don’t be stingy with the hug after sex.

Obstetrician and gynecologist Cai Fengbo said that the following are the 8 major benefits of hugging for the body and mind. Everyone may wish to hug their family and close ones more often to promote health!

Unbelievable! 8 Powerful Benefits of Hugging

1. Hugging strengthens the immune system

If you are under great stress for a long time, your immune system will gradually weaken. Hugging can relieve stress moderately, help adjust the body and mind, and relatively help increase the immune system, which is effective in fighting disease.

2. Hugging increases serotonin levels

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter carried by neurons in the brain. It is made of an amino acid called tryptophan, which sends messages through the blood and tells the brain to produce 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). Serotonin helps us feel more joyful, relaxed, and confident. Serotonin imbalance is associated with many conditions, including depression and obesity.

3. Hugs stimulate oxytocin

When you hug, your brain releases oxytocin, which can lower blood pressure, activate the brain, and enhance memory. Oxytocin may also help fight depression, improve blood pressure control, or increase feelings of emotional pleasure. When a woman is pregnant and about to give birth, oxytocin causes the uterus to contract.

4. Hugging can fight aging

Research from the University of California, USA found that hugging stimulates the secretion of posterior pituitary hormone in the brain, which can relieve depression, slow down aging, and keep us young.

5. Hugs Can Balance Dopamine

Hugging can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and increase the secretion of dopamine, which is a substance that makes people happy. Studies using MRI and PET scans have shown that when you hug someone or listen to music, the brain releases dopamine, which helps produce a feeling of comfort and well-being.

6. Hugging your baby can help you cope with future stress

According to a study by Emory University in the United States, touch in the early stages of life can change the conduction of skin signals. Especially during infancy, hugging helps the connection between the vagus nerve and the brain, which helps the baby to be better able to withstand stress when facing it when he grows up.

7. Hugging relaxes your muscles

Hugging can promote blood circulation in the human body's soft tissues, relax muscles and relieve fatigue.

8. Hugging increases intimacy between the sexes

According to a survey conducted by Robin Milhausen, a professor of sexology at the University of Guelph in Canada, the six minutes after sex are very important for women. If you can hug a girl, say sweet words, or give her appropriate caress within those six minutes, it can make the girl more satisfied with the sex and enhance the intimacy between the sexes.