Who knew hugs could make you healthier?

June 24, 2015 8:14 PM

Science suggests frequent hugs may make you healthier.

The more hugs, the better

You may have been avoiding those extra long hugs but it seems the givers were actually onto something!

Scientists interviewed 406 people daily for two weeks, asking them how often they'd had fights or hugged anyone.

The researchers then exposed the participants to a cold virus and monitored them during a quarantine period of up to six days.

For infrequent huggers, the more conflicts they reported having with others, the greater their likelihood of infection, but regular huggers were protected from this stress-associated risk, says Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Habitual huggers who were infected also had milder illnesses than those who reported occasional or no hugging.

Although it's possible that frequent physical contact helps build immunity through greater exposure to germs, the researchers screened all the study participants in order to rule out preexisting immunity to this particular virus.

Affectionate touching and social support help reduce stress and improve health, they concluded.

So find a loved one, or a stranger who gave you permission, and hug away!

You just might want to cling a little longer this time around.