The Perfect Hug Length to Improve Immunity and Reduce Stress
A simple embrace acts as free medicine, even against viruses (excerpt).
via Mercura Wang, The Epoch Times (all rights belong to The Epoch Times)
In a carefully controlled laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University, researchers exposed more than 400 healthy volunteers to the common cold virus.
However, before the viral exposure, researchers spent 2 weeks meticulously tracking something most scientists might overlook: whether the participants had been hugged each day.
The focus was not sentimental, but rather, to see whether a simple embrace could serve as a miniature vaccine against disease.
The research, along with other studies, shows that the right frequency and duration of hugs can prime your immune system, lead to better heart health, and even help heal emotional wounds.
Can a Hug Defeat a Virus?
Carnegie Mellon’s study lead researcher, Sheldon Cohen, had a hunch that physical touch might be one of the key ways that social support protects us from stress-induced illness.
His team exposed participants to the common virus and, for 14 consecutive days, asked them about their daily conflicts, social interactions, and, yes - whether anyone had hugged them that day.
The results: Cohen’s hypothesis proved prescient.
Participants who were hugged on most days had about 60% lower odds of becoming infected than those who were rarely hugged.
Additionally, those who did get sick recovered more quickly and had stronger immune responses than those who received fewer hugs.
These findings suggest that hugging, in addition to being an affectionate human behavior, is also a surprisingly effective defense against stress-related illness, boosting the immune system.
The Science Behind the Embrace
When we hug someone, …