{"id":4762,"date":"2021-06-23T10:13:03","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T08:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/?p=4762"},"modified":"2021-06-23T10:14:18","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T08:14:18","slug":"four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","title":{"rendered":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Hugs<\/h3><\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Gentle physical touch stimulates “cuddle nerves” that lead to beneficial changes in the brain.<\/h3>\n<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

For many people, the thing they\u2019ve missed most during the pandemic is being able to hug loved ones. Indeed, it wasn\u2019t until we lost our ability to hug friends and family did many realize just how important touch is for many aspects of our health\u2014including our mental health.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

The reason hugs feel so good has to do with our sense of touch. It\u2019s an extremely important sense that allows us not only to physically explore the world around us, but also to communicate with others by creating and maintaining social bonds.<\/p>\n

Touch consists of two distinct systems. The first is \u201cfast-touch,\u201d a system of nerves that allows us to rapidly detect contact (for example, if a fly landed on your nose, or you touched something hot). The second system is \u201cslow-touch.\u201d This is a population of recently discovered nerves, called c-tactile afferents, that process the emotional meaning of touch.<\/p>\n

These c-tactile afferents have essentially evolved to be \u201ccuddle nerves\u201d and are typically activated by a very specific kind of stimulation: a gentle, skin-temperature touch, the kind typical of a hug or caress. We see c-tactile afferents as the neural input stage in signaling the rewarding, pleasurable aspects of social tactile interactions such as hugging and touching.<\/p>\n

Touch is the first sense to start working in the womb (around 14 weeks). From the moment we\u2019re born, the gentle caress of a mother has multiple health benefits, such as lowering heart rate and promoting the growth of brain cell connections.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

When someone hugs us, the stimulation of c-tactile afferents in our skin sends signals, via the spinal cord, to the brain\u2019s emotion processing networks. This induces a cascade of neurochemical signals, which have proven health benefits. Some of the neurochemicals include the hormone oxytocin, which plays an important role in social bonding, slows down heart rate, and reduces stress and anxiety levels. The release of endorphins in the brain\u2019s reward pathways supports the immediate feelings of pleasure and well-being derived from a hug or caress.<\/p>\n

Hugging has such a relaxing and calming effect that it also benefits our health in other ways.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

It improves our sleep.<\/strong> From the benefits of cosleeping with infants to cuddling your partner, gentle touch is known to regulate our sleep, as it lowers levels of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a key regulator of our sleep-wake cycle but also increases when we\u2019re stressed. So it\u2019s no wonder high levels of stress can delay sleep and cause fragmented sleep patterns or insomnia.<\/p>\n

It reduces reactivity to stress.<\/strong> Beyond the immediate soothing and pleasurable feelings provided by a hug, social touch also has longer-term benefits to our health, making us less reactive to stress and building resilience.<\/p>\n

Nurturing touch, during early developmental periods, produces higher levels of oxytocin receptors and lower levels of cortisol in brain regions that are vital for regulating emotions. Infants that receive high levels of nurturing contact grow up to be less reactive to stressors and show lower levels of anxiety.<\/p>\n

It increases well-being and pleasure.<\/strong> Across our lifespan, social touch bonds us together and helps maintain our relationships. As noted, this is because it releases endorphins, which make us see hugs and touch as rewarding. Touch provides the \u201cglue\u201d that holds us together, underpinning our physical and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n

And when touch is desired, the benefits are shared by both people in the exchange. In fact, even stroking your pet can have benefits for health and well-being\u2014with oxytocin levels increasing in both the pet and the owner.<\/p>\n

It could help us fight off infections.<\/strong> Through regulation of our hormones\u2014including oxytocin and cortisol\u2014touching and hugging can also affect our body\u2019s immune response. Whereas high levels of stress and anxiety can suppress our ability to fight infections, close, supportive relationships benefit health and well-being.<\/p>\n

Research even suggests that cuddling in bed could protect us against the common cold. By monitoring hugging frequency among just over 400 adults who were then exposed to a common cold virus, researchers found the \u201chuggers\u201d won hands-down in being less likely to get a cold. And even if they did, they had less severe symptoms.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Hug it out<\/h2>\n

While it\u2019s important we continue to keep ourselves safe, it\u2019s equally as important that we don\u2019t give up hugs forever. Social isolation and loneliness are known to increase our chances of premature death\u2014and perhaps future research should investigate whether it\u2019s a lack of hugs or social touch that may be driving this. Touch is an instinct that is all-around beneficial for our mental and physical health\u2014so we should celebrate its return.<\/p>\n

Of course, not everyone craves a hug. So for those who don\u2019t, there\u2019s no reason to worry about missing out on the benefits of hugs\u2014as giving yourself a hug has also been shown to regulate emotional processes and reduce stress.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Source: The Greater Good Magazine, Berkeley.
\nAuthor: FRANCIS MCGLONE<\/a>, SUSANNAH WALKER<\/a>
\nPhoto: \u00a0StockSnap<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-relaxation-peace-and-wellness"],"yoast_head":"\nFour Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Aaanandha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"854\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alexandre Pepe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alexandre Pepe\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alexandre Pepe\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/547d3ef4cb45097f0ff27065d93bd4b9\"},\"headline\":\"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\"},\"wordCount\":1780,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Relaxation, Peace and Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\",\"name\":\"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":854},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/home\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\",\"name\":\"Aaanandha\",\"description\":\"Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization\",\"name\":\"Aaanandha Massages\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-aaanandha-massage-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-aaanandha-massage-2.png\",\"width\":276,\"height\":80,\"caption\":\"Aaanandha Massages\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/547d3ef4cb45097f0ff27065d93bd4b9\",\"name\":\"Alexandre Pepe\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e6122bc9d3dae1a587c91d5838cf45c9aeaaffaf378fa0987260141bd941dfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e6122bc9d3dae1a587c91d5838cf45c9aeaaffaf378fa0987260141bd941dfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alexandre Pepe\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha","og_url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","og_site_name":"Aaanandha","article_published_time":"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":854,"url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alexandre Pepe","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alexandre Pepe","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health"},"author":{"name":"Alexandre Pepe","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/547d3ef4cb45097f0ff27065d93bd4b9"},"headline":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health","datePublished":"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health"},"wordCount":1780,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg","articleSection":["News","Relaxation, Peace and Wellness"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health","name":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health – Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva – Aaanandha","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg","datePublished":"2021-06-23T08:13:03+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-23T08:14:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/people-2571963_1280-1.jpg","width":1280,"height":854},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/news\/four-ways-hugs-are-good-for-your-health#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Four Ways Hugs Are Good for Your Health"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#website","url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en","name":"Aaanandha","description":"Ayurveda Massages and Treatments in Geneva","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#organization","name":"Aaanandha Massages","url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-aaanandha-massage-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-aaanandha-massage-2.png","width":276,"height":80,"caption":"Aaanandha Massages"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/547d3ef4cb45097f0ff27065d93bd4b9","name":"Alexandre Pepe","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e6122bc9d3dae1a587c91d5838cf45c9aeaaffaf378fa0987260141bd941dfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e6122bc9d3dae1a587c91d5838cf45c9aeaaffaf378fa0987260141bd941dfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Alexandre Pepe"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4762"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4772,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4762\/revisions\/4772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaanandha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}