As you celebrate Valentine's Day with your significant (or maybe not so significant) other this evening, keep in mind that your hungry, passionate kisses are heating up more than your love—they are also firing up your brain chemistry. A study conducted by Lafayette College researchers found that the hormone oxytocin—associated with social bonding—increased in the males they studied after kissing their partners. In addition, after a good make out session, both men and women had a drop in cortisol levels—a finding that suggests that kissing reduces stress.


   Photo: ©sxc.hu/duchesssa (Gabriella Fabbri)

Kissing can also make a new relationship either flourish or fail, according to a recent Gallup survey. Of the poll participants asked about how first kisses can affect a relationship, 59 percent of men and 66 percent of women reported that a bad first kiss can make them quickly lose interest in a love interest. This finding has been attributed to the fact that, on a subconscious level, a kiss can let you know how suitable someone may be for you romantically.

(Source: Walter, Chip. (2008). Affairs of the Lips: Why We Kiss. Retrieved February 8, 2008 from Scientific American Mind.)

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