Stressed? You Need a Hug

Maybe that free hugs guy is onto something after all. A new study reports that folks that receive a regular dose of "nonsexual, supportive" touching like hugs and massage show a decreased amount of stress and lower blood pressure. Twenty married couples were hooked up to portable blood pressure monitors, and asked to provide 30 minute massages to their partners three times a week, as well as record how much hugging and kissing they engaged in. They also found that "caring touch" may lead to an increase in the release of the calming hormone oxytocin, especially in men. Which is weird, because the warm touch we received on the butts-to-crotch 'L' car this morning did not lower our stress AT ALL. [S-T]