A 30-minute kissing session may suppress the body's allergic reaction to pollen, providing welcome relief from hay fever, a new study suggests. Scientists based at the Satou hospital in Japan found that kissing worked by relaxing the body and reducing the production of histamine ? a chemical that the body produces in response to pollen, causing the sneezing, runny noses and streaming eyes that characterise hay fever attacks.
The researchers asked a total of 24 couples, where both partners suffered from hay fever, to spend 30 minutes kissing. Blood samples were taken before and after to compare levels of histamine, and results showed that after the kissing session levels of the chemical were significantly reduced. This was not found to be the case, however, when the experiment was repeated with cuddling but no kissing, with no change in histamine levels found.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Hajime Kimata, who conducted the research, said: "The results indicate for the first time that kissing may alleviate allergic responses."
It is already known that stress can cause an increased allergic reactions to allergens, suggesting that kissing has a relaxing effect, causing the reduction in histamine levels.
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