From: Big Think
Boost Your Immune System with Hugs
Big Think:
Hugs may have healing properties (beyond making you feel warm and fuzzy). This flu season add a hug a day to your regimen–it may help lessen your symptoms should you fall ill, according to one study.
The find was published in Psychological Science and highlighted in Carnegie Mellon University’s news by Shilo Rea. Researchers wanted to assess what social support and hugs had on illness. The study singled-out participants that may be more susceptible to a cold’s symptoms because of their heightened level of stress in their lives.
The team took 404 adult participants and assessed their perceived level of social support through a questionnaire. Every evening for two weeks, researchers would call participants to inquire about any conflicts in their lives in order to assess their level of stress and how many hugs they received to measure social support. Participants were then intentionally exposed to the common cold and put in quarantine to monitor their symptoms.
Read the whole story: Big Think
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