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5 Top Health Benefits Of Kissing (PICTURES)

Why Kissing Is Good For Your Health
The Huffington Post UK
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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.

PICTURES: Scroll down to see 2012's best and worst celebrity kisses

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.

Health Benefits Of Kissing
Kissing Is Good For Your Teeth(01 of05)
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There's a reason a kiss is called a "wet one" -- smooching stimulates saliva production, which can actually wash harmful bacteria off the teeth, Mathew Messina, D.D.S., told WebMD and reduce plaque buildup, according to Glamour.com. Flickr photo by midiman (credit:Flickr: midiman)
Kissing Burns Calories(02 of05)
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Okay, so we're not talking the equivalent of a trip to the gym, but hey, every little bit counts, right? Locking lips can burn anywhere from two to six calories a minute, according to Self.com. You're also putting a whole slew of facial muscles to work when you pucker up, and just a few minutes of extra attention to those muscles can make a big difference when it comes to the appearance of frown lines or less-than-perky cheeks, according to the Daily Mail.Flickr photo by {N}Duran (credit:Flickr: {N}Duran)
Kissing Boosts Immunity(03 of05)
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There's no denying the fact that when you lock lips, there are bound to be some germs, uh, exchanged. One specific bug can be particularly hazardous to pregnant women, but researchers believe kissing is a way to introduce the virus to a woman in small doses before she conceives, triggering her body to build up a resistance to it before she could ever pass it on to a child, according to Popular Science.However, if your partner in crime is visibly ill, it's still a good idea to hold off on that kiss, as it's still an easy way to catch mono, strep throat and herpes, among other things. Flickr photo by lejoe (credit:Flickr: lejoe)
Kissing Eases Stress(04 of05)
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That feeling of relaxation post-kiss isn't all in your head. A small 2009 study measured levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin and the stress hormone cortisol in pairs of kissing college students, the AP reported. Both men and women experienced a decline in cortisol, a sign of relaxation, that was much greater than when they just held hands. Flickr photo by pedrosimoes7 (credit:Flickr: pedrosimoes7)
Kissing Could Ease Allergy Symptoms(05 of05)
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If those sniffles are due to seasonal allergies and not something contagious, it may be a good idea to go through with the smooch, after all.A small Japanese study found that couples who kissed for 30 minutes had lower levels of allergen-specific IgE, the proteins that trigger pesky sypmtoms like sneezing and sniffling. Flickr photo by davitydave (credit:Flickr: davitydave)

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Best & Worst Celebrity Kisses 2012
Justin Timberlake And Jessica Biel(01 of50)
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(credit:Getty)
Andrew Garfield And Emma Stone(02 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Kanye West & Kim Kardashian (03 of50)
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James Deen And Janice Dickinson (04 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Dax Shepard And Kristen Bell(05 of50)
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(credit:Getty Images)
Vanessa Hudgens And Austin Butler(06 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne(07 of50)
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Cast member Ozzy Osbourne, right, and Sharon Osbourne kiss as they arrive at the premiere of "Total Recall", Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP) (credit:AP)
Diane Kruger And Joshua Jackson(08 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Justin Bieber And Selena Gomez(09 of50)
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(credit:AP)
Jayson Blair And Rumer Willis(10 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Hayden Panettiere And Scotty McKnight(11 of50)
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(credit:Bauer-Griffin )
Paris Hilton And River Viiperi (12 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Scott Speer And Ashley Tisdale(13 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Emma Stone And Andrew Garfield(14 of50)
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(credit:Getty Images)
Justin Bieber And Selena Gomez(15 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Ian Somerhalder And Nina Dobrev(16 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Oliva Wilde And Jason Sudeikis(17 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Kate Bosworth And Michael Polish(18 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
Josh Beech And Shenae Grimes(19 of50)
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Liev Schreiber And Naomi Watts(20 of50)
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(credit:Pacific Coast News)
David Hasselhoff And Hayley Roberts(21 of50)
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Sharni Vinson And Kellan Lutz(22 of50)
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Larry King And Shawn Southwick(23 of50)
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Sarah Silverman And Boyfriend(24 of50)
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Sharon Stone(25 of50)
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(FameFlynet)
(26 of50)
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MORE CELEBRITIES KISSING
Gene Simmons And Shannon Tweed(27 of50)
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(FameFlynet)
Janice Dickinson(28 of50)
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(Getty) (credit:Getty)
Vanessa Hudgens And Austin Butler(29 of50)
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(FameFlynet)
Jason Segel And Russell Brand(30 of50)
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(WireImage) (credit:WireImage)
Steven Tyler And Carrie Underwood(31 of50)
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(Getty) (credit:Getty)
Meryl Streep And Sandra Bullock(32 of50)
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(Getty) (credit:Getty)
Michaele Salahi And Neal Schon(33 of50)
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(RumorFix) (credit:RumorFix)
Kris Humphries And Kim Kardashian(34 of50)
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(Getty) (credit:Getty)
Al Gore And Tipper Gore(35 of50)
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Prince Albert And Princess Charlene(36 of50)
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Liza Minnelli And David Gest(37 of50)
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Angelina Jolie And James Haven(38 of50)
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(Retna) (credit:Retna)
Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck(39 of50)
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Betty White And Jay Leno(40 of50)
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Spencer Pratt And Heidi Montag(41 of50)
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Sandra Bullock And Halle Berry(42 of50)
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Busy Philipps And Michelle Williams(43 of50)
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Kristin Chenoweth And Sean Hayes(44 of50)
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(Getty)
Will Ferrell And John C. Reilly(45 of50)
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Paula Abdul And Simon Cowell(46 of50)
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Eva Mendes(47 of50)
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Prince William And Kate Middleton(48 of50)
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Elton John And Nicole Kidman(49 of50)
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Sharon Stone And Kathy Griffin(50 of50)
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(Getty) (credit:Getty)

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