The research team kept tabs on more than 400 adults by conducting daily phone interviews for several weeks. During those calls, the researchers asked each person questions about their social activities, any tension or conflict they’d dealt with that day, and whether they had been hugged. After the initial phone-interview period, the researchers quarantined all of the study participants at hotels and exposed them to some common cold viruses. (Yes, people actually signed up for this!) Those who said they’d received daily hugs were significantly less likely to suffer from cold symptoms than those who seldom got a squeeze. There are at least two possible explanations for hugging’s immune system-boosting benefits, says study coauthor Sheldon Cohen, PhD, a psychologist and stress expert at Carnegie Mellon University. He says physical contact alone may be the key. It’s also possible that frequent hugging is a sign of social support and intimacy. Both social support and physical contact have been shown to slash your stress levels. And since stress messes with your body’s immune system, lowering stress can help protect you from cold viruses, Cohen’s study suggests. In fact, he and his colleagues say hugging may account for 32% of the immune system boost associated with social support. It’s not clear yet whether different types of hugs come with different health benefits. Cohen says his team didn’t ask specifics about hugs, but it’s possible a big bear hug from a close friend could offer more benefit than a slight embrace from an acquaintance. Here are three more reasons to hunt for hugs this winter:

They lower your heart rate. Any human-to-human contact, whether it’s a hug or someone holding your hand, lowers your body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And that in turn helps ease your blood flow and lower your heart rate, shows research from the University of North Carolina.They combat big, existential fears. Hugging almost anything, from a person to a pet, reduces worry about mortality and other big life concerns, concludes another Psychological Science study.They just feel good. Human contact triggers the release of oxytocin, a “bonding” hormone that promotes feelings of trust and social connection, shows a study from the University of San Diego Medical Center.

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