English saying: one apple a day and we don't need a doctor, it can be changed to one hug a day and we don't need a doctor.
Researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University studied the effect of hugs as a kind of social support, which protects people from stress.
In doing so, they discovered that more hugs and better social support protect people who receive them not only from stress, but also from infectious diseases, i.e., it helps them to be sick less often and that the illness lasts less.
Although the researchers studied the general impact of social support on health, they concentrated on hugging, as it is a kind of symbol of personal and social support and is a typical indicator of closer relationships with others.
Professor of psychology Sheldon Cohen, who led this research, commented on it in the following way: "It has been known for a long time that people who are in some kind of conflict with others are more susceptible to the cold virus. Likewise, it is known that people who have social support are partially protected from the effects of stress on psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Now we tried to determine whether social support is just as effective in protecting against susceptibility to stress-induced diseases, as well as whether a hug can help that feeling of being supported, and thus protect against infections."
The researchers selected several hundred healthy subjects and had them fill out a detailed questionnaire. They then brought them into contact with the cold virus and observed how their health would develop.
Statistics showed that people who stated in the questionnaire that they had social support (support from others) got sick less than those who were in conflict with their environment.
And among those who got a cold, those who had more social support and who were hugged more often had weaker symptoms, regardless of whether they were in a conflict.
According to the researchers, the protective effect of hugs can be attributed to the feeling of support associated with the hug, rather than the physical contact itself.
In any case, the conclusion is the following: people who were hugged more were also more resistant to infections.
The results of the research were published in the journal Psychological Science.
If you have any questions or need a free hug, feel free to contact the team of experienced phytotherapists for a free consultation: 092 352 7589 or 099 645 0504
