The Health Benefits of Hugging

But are you aware of the multiple health benefits associated with each warm embrace you give or receive? Decades of scientific research confirm that the simple act of hugging primes the human immune system and improves both physical and emotional health.

For example, consider a 2015 study in which scientists at Carnegie Mellon University exposed 400 healthy volunteers to the common cold virus over 14 days. Participants who received multiple hugs during that two-week period were 60% less likely to contract the infection than those who were rarely hugged. And the hugged participants who did get sick recovered more quickly and had stronger immune responses than their hug-deprived counterparts.

There are at least two physiological reasons for these results: 

1. Gentle pressure on the sternum activates the thymus gland, generating disease-fighting white blood cells.
2. Hugs increase circulation in the body's soft tissues, reducing inflammation by delivering healing nutrients to the inflamed area.

This conclusion was confirmed by a 2020 study that revealed a significant association between hugging and fewer proinflammatory molecules. Using saliva samples from 20 adults, researchers found that inflammation was inversely related to the number of hugs these subjects had received over two weeks. In other words, more hugs equal less inflammation.

A happy marriage can lead to a longer and healthier life, particularly for men. 

Ongoing research from the Framingham Offspring Study evaluated 3,682 adults over 10 years and found that married men had a 46% lower death rate than unmarried men, regardless of major cardiovascular risk factors.

In a similar study, Japanese scientists reported that never-married men were three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than married men. 

Then, in 2023, researchers from the American College of Cardiology found that lifelong bachelors are more than twice as likely to die from heart failure within five years of diagnosis than married men or women of any marital status.

Source:  Harvard Health

Upon closer examination, the physiological effects of embracing someone encompass both neurobiological and neurochemical impacts.

From a neurochemical standpoint, hugging triggers the release of several feel-good brain chemicals, primarily oxytocin (the "love hormone"), dopamine (the "pleasure hormone"), and serotonin (the "happiness hormone"). When oxytocin binds to specific sites along the central nervous system, it can significantly reduce chronic pain.

Physical touch also improves cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate variability, a crucial measure of how well the body responds to stress. (See sidebar, "The Heart of Marriage.”)

A 2003 study revealed that hugging contributes to lower reactivity to a specific stressful life event: public speaking. In this study, couples who held hands for 10 minutes, followed by a 20-second hug before delivering a speech, exhibited blood pressure and heart rate measurements that were 50% lower than those without prestress partner contact. 

Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2023 revealed the carryover effects of hugging. This study found that first-year college students who received daily hugs from friends and family members demonstrated reduced stress levels the following morning.