Singles beware. Not only does marriage reportedly reduce the risk of heart attacks, as Finnish scientists noted earlier this year, but kissing is also great for your health.
According to our partners in the US, a simple embrace increases levels of the "love hormone" called oxytocin, which has been linked to social bonding, and the BBC has previously reported that a brief hug can have a calming effect, particularly on women.
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This year, an American study also found that 'baby boomers' with long-term partners were less likely to die prematurely, than their single counterparts.
Individuals who never married were more than twice as likely to die early than those who had been in a long-term, stable relationships, concluded researchers from Duke University Medical Center.
The survey analysed results taken from more than 4,800 people born during the 1940s, and found that being single or without a consistent partner during middle age increased the likelihood of early mortality, irrespective of socioeconomic factors.