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As you may have already guessed, hugs are scientifically proven to be good for your health.
Hugs and other physical contact can benefit the physical and mental health of people of all ages, according to a new review of 212 previous studies.
By combining the results of all these studies, the research team from Germany’s Ruhr University Bochum and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience was able to get a broader picture of how contact can be beneficial.
Julian Packheiser, a neuroscientist at Ruhr University, said: “We’ve recognized the importance of touch as a health intervention, but despite much research, we still don’t know how best to use it, and specifically which. “It remained unclear whether such an effect could be expected or what factors would influence it.” Bochum.
This new study included 12,966 participants across all different studies and provided some clarity. Touch has been shown to help reduce feelings of pain, depression, and anxiety, and its positive effects have been observed in both children and adults.
The type of touch (from hugs to massages) doesn’t seem to matter much, but touching the head or face seems to be the most effective. Research shows that shorter and more frequent touches result in more positive responses.
Interestingly, while inanimate contact, such as weighted blankets, body pillows, and even robots, can be helpful for physical health, it’s not so good for mental health. Contact from humans and animals tends to have positive effects both physically and mentally.
Newborns also benefit from touch, but the study found that touch from their parents had a significantly greater positive impact. As we get older, it becomes less important whether the touch comes from someone we know well.
“This study clearly shows that contact can indeed be optimized, but the most important factor is not necessarily the one we suspect,” said Christian Keysers, a neuroscientist at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. ” he says.
Of course, large-scale meta-analyses like this one can help identify larger patterns across populations, but responses to exposure still vary widely from person to person. The researchers also emphasize that consent is necessary for contact to be beneficial.
But for many of us, data shows that spending more time in physical contact with others strengthens many aspects of our health. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that touch is the first thing that develops in our senses and is something we would normally miss without it.
“If you feel like hugging a family member or friend, don’t hold back as long as the other person agrees,” Packheiser says.
This study nature human behavior.
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