A new book says there’s science behind the reason kissing feels so good. (via Healthland)
In The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us, author Sheril Kirshenbaum says passionate lip-locking boosts levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine (which is involved in craving and desire) and serotonin (which elevates mood and can help spark obsessive thoughts about a partner). It also causes a jump in oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” whose release during orgasm triggers attachment between couples.
And while kissing is enjoyed universally, research shows men and women smooch for different reasons. “Males tend to kiss as a means of gaining sexual favors, or as a means of affecting reconciliation,” says Gordon G. Gallup, a professor of psychology at the University at Albany. “Females kiss more as a mate-assessment device.”
