Apr 04, 2025 02:45 PM IST
Kissing has been shown to reduce stress levels by releasing oxytocin, often referred to as the ‘bonding hormone’, as per a doctor.
Kissing your partner goodbye before leaving for work may seem like a small gesture, but it can have a significant impact on your relationship and overall well-being. Did you know that men who kiss their wives goodbye before leaving for work might live longer than those who don’t? Dr Kunal Sood, an anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine physician, shared an Instagram post on April 3, 2025, asking: “Who else is living 4 years less?” Also read | 7 reasons why kissing is good for health and why we should kiss more often
The power of a quick kiss
He was reacting to what John Gottman, a US psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington, said in a March 28, 2024 episode of The Diary Of A CEO podcast. He had said: “Men who kiss their wives goodbye when they leave for work live something like four years longer than men who don’t. The six-second kiss… has much more potential than a peck on the cheek.”
‘Kissing helps release hormones that improve mood
Reacting to this, Dr Sood said in his video, “This is true! Now, while I was not able to find the actual research paper, there are articles which describe the study, which was done in 1980. It found that men who kissed their wives before work lived longer by an average of five years.”
Dr Sood shared that while the exact mechanisms behind these statistics are unclear, it’s likely that the cumulative effects of reduced stress, improved relationship quality, and physical health benefits contribute to increased longevity.
He said: “As for the why: It is because when we kiss, it releases hormones that improve our mood. These hormones include oxytocin, which is the ‘bonding hormone’ and dopamine, which is the ‘feel good hormone’. In addition to this, kissing has been shown to decrease our stress hormone, cortisol, which has been shown when chronically elevated, can have a negative impact on our health.”
Click here to learn more about some unknown health benefits of kissing – from decreasing blood pressure to weight loss and dental hygiene.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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