Future Woman
Future Woman

A hug-a-day keeps the doctor away


👤FM Team 🕔23/12/2014
Tweet Share
Detailed News

A hug-a-day keeps the doctor away

 

Strange is the world of health. While a lip-lock kissing for 10 seconds can transfer as many as 80 million bacteria, being hugged by a trusted person helps protect against stress and infection, literally meaning a hug-a-day keeps the doctor away.

A recent study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University says hugs act as a form of social support, protecting stressed people from getting sick. Researchers found that greater social support and more frequent hugs protected people from the increased susceptibility to infection associated with stress and resulted in less severe illness symptoms.

Led by Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty University Professor of Psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the researchers tested whether hugs act as a form of social support, protecting stressed people from getting sick. The study was published in Psychological Science.

 

Cohen and his team chose to study hugging as an example of social support because hugs are typically a marker of having a more intimate and close relationship with another person.

"We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety," said Cohen. "We tested whether perceptions of social support are equally effective in protecting us from stress-induced susceptibility to infection and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and themselves protect a person against infection."

 

The study results suggest that "being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the deleterious effects of stress," Cohen said. "The apparent protective effect of hugs may be attributable to the physical contact itself or to hugging being a behavioural indicator of support and intimacy,” he added. 

 

Widget is loading comments...

Related Stories

  • Medical and physical effects of alcoholism

    A look at the bad effects of alcoholism on our health and the possible diseases it can cause ... Read more
  • Dreaded AIDS continues to be on the prowl

    Every December 1st is observed as World AIDS Day across the world as part of a world-wide campaign to make the public aware of this most dreaded pandemic spreadingS fast through mainly unprotected sexual activities. AIDS Day each year is highlighting a specific theme. The theme for Wold AIDS Day ... Read more
  • Reduce breast cancer risk with changes in lifestyle

    If one is concerned about breast cancer, she may be wondering whether there are steps one can take for the prevention of the dreaded disease. Some risk factors, such as family history, a major cause, can't be changed, but there are lifestyle changes one can make to lower the risk. ... Read more
  • Diabetic foot

    Prevent diabetic foot to save your feet ... Read more
  • Parkinson

    According to The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation of America, as many as one million Americans live with Parkinson's disease. Each year, approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. That is 1 in 272 people have the disease. This number does not reflect thousands of cases that ... Read more
  • chocolate special

    Since time immemorial, chocolates have been relished by mankind and till date the consumption of chocolates has only escalated. Thanks to the unique ability of chocolates to satiate the taste buds and induce a feel-good-factor that transports one to a different world. ... Read more
  • World Hepatitis Day

    World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Hepatitis affects millions of people worldwide, killing close to 1.4 million every year. It is ... Read more
  • Chocolate facial

    Chocolate facial Chocolates are a great way of adding to your beauty, without adding calories. Chocolate facial is getting popular by day. Rich in antioxidants, it helps reverse the signs of ageing. It moisturises skin, protects the sun damage and tightens by maintaining the collagen production. ... Read more
  • Popularising waterbirth

    Barbara Harper has revolutionised childbirth with the introduction of waterbirth technique which gives both mother and baby maximum comfort and pleasure during the process. Though the concept of waterbirth was not accepted by medical practitioners in the beginning, it is now gaining popularity ... Read more
  • Birth of a ‘blissful birth’

    In the developed and developing countries, including India, increased use of medical technologies during childbirth is a matter of concern. It is evident that the development and application of unjustified interventions is causing complex health problems for women. However, the trend of ... Read more