“A hug a day keeps your troubles at bay.” How accurate can this statement really be? It turns out that there may be some truth to it! Besides the obvious feelings evoked by any type of physical contact, it has been discovered that touch can have tremendous impacts on our physical and mental well-being. A recent study conducted at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and the University Hospital Essen took a deeper look into the benefits of physical contact in improving human health.
A large-scale analysis was done on various published studies that encompassed results from almost 13 thousand participants. It was found that physical touch effectively regulated cortisol levels and increased weight in newborns. Cortisol is a hormone released by your body during times of stress, often referred to as the “stress hormone.” Additionally, newborns benefitted more from a parent’s physical touch than a healthcare worker’s. Understanding this could be very valuable in terms of offering care and support to newborns facing health problems.
Furthermore, physical touch was found to be highly effective in reducing feelings of depression, anxiety, and pain in adults. It was specifically found that individuals struggling with physical or mental health issues benefitted more from physical touch than otherwise healthy adults. Contrary to the newborn studies, it was discovered that in adults, the person initiating the touch has no impact on the effectiveness of the contact, meaning no matter if the touch were from a loved one or a stranger, it would be just as effective in creating a positive impact. In addition, it was found that the type of touch or even the duration of the touch does not have any discernible impact. Interestingly, it was uncovered that non-human touch, such as through objects or robots, was just as effective in improving physical health as human touch. This suggests that your health can even benefit from using objects like a weighted blanket or heat pack. However, non-human touch was found to be less helpful for mental health than human touch.
Even using objects such as a weighted blanket can have a positive impact on your physical well-being.
Image Source: Catherine McQueen
These studies provide us with valuable insights into the benefits of physical touch on both mental and physical health. Drawing from the results of these studies, researchers are now interested in studying the effects of animal contact on human health that can be relevant for pet or farm owners. Given these insights, perhaps we should all try to embrace hugs more frequently, as the benefits are truly outstanding.
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