There is a German proverb, “A hug a day keeps the demons at bay.” Here, demons refer to the diseases and conditions that can potentially affect your health. Women need to be hugged every day for their better health, says a study conducted at the University of North Carolina. Hugging has numerous health benefits. From boosting your immune system to balancing your nervous system and protecting you against cardiovascular diseases, hugging does it all for you. Well, this is not the first time that scientists have put emphasis on the need for hugging because of its benefits. There is an array of studies in the field that have shown a plethora of benefits of hugging. What is different this time is that researchers have talked about women-specific benefits of clinging to your partner. According to few studies, some of the diseases are more prevalent in women than men include heart disease, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, etc. Let’s see, how cuddling provides protection to women from some of these diseases.

Improves heart health

According to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, hugging can be good for women’s heart health. The science behind it is that hugging somebody stimulates the release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone that is known to lower blood pressure. Apart from this, hugging also increases levels of the love hormone, ‘oxytocin’, which has been shown to play a significant role in cardiovascular regulation by decreasing your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure, according to a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. This means that getting a hug a day can cut your risk of developing heart diseases.

Alleviates anxiety and depression

As mentioned earlier, cuddling decreases your heart rate and calms you down. This way, it alleviates fears, anxiety and stress, factors responsible for depression. Also, by stimulating the release of the love hormone, it decreases the feeling of loneliness and improves your mental health. Cuddling someone also helps in the production of serotonin hormone that is known to make you feel relaxed and happy. Not only this, hugging reduces the level of the stress hormone called cortisol in the body. It sends calming messages to your brain making you feel better.

Boosts your immune system

Women, hugs can potentially boost your body’s immune system and keep you healthy, says a study published in the journal Developmental Review. It states that hugging increases the count of white blood cells in your body to strengthen your immune system. When you hug someone, gentle pressure is exerted on your breastbone. This pressure activates the Solar Plexus Chakra and stimulates the thymus gland. This is the gland that regulates the white blood cells’ supply in the body keeping you healthy.

Helps you age slow

According to various studies in the field, women are more prevalent in ageing than men. This is maybe because of the menopause. Once you reach this stage of your life, some of the significant hormones’ production either reduces or stops completely. And, drop in the levels of hormones lead to a loss of muscle mass. And, hugging actually helps in regenerating your muscle mass and activating your muscle signal pathways. This happens due to the secretion of oxytocin hormone during cuddling. This means, the more you hug your partner, the more oxytocin will be produced preventing the aging process.