10 Reasons There Should Be More Kissing in My Life

Someone has recently jogged my memory, and now I remember that I like kissing. Again, I am a bit of a liberal prude, so I don't go around kissing people all the time, but I do rather enjoy it. Anyway, there's this guy that has voluntarily kissed me on a couple of occasions now, and I feel pretty good. Let's just say that there is a little extra spring in my step, and a friend commented that things must be going well because I literally bounded down the stairs earlier today.

Feeling good is just one of the many perks, however. With the help of the internet, trashy women's magazines, and recent personal experiences, I have compiled a list of 10 reasons why kissing is good (in no particular order).

1. It feels nice. Alright - it feels pretty awesome.
2. With the right person, it gets your heart beating just a little bit faster.
3. Kissing burns two to three calories per minute (bestkisses.com). According to Reader's Digest, however, it can actually burn between two and six calories a minute. I guess it depends on how you're doing it?
4. Kissing is a stress reliever. Apparently, according to bestkisses.com, anyway (and if you can't trust them, who can you trust?), it lowers your cortisol level. Reader's Digest says that kissing increases your level of oxytocin and dopamine as well.
5. There are 100 times more nerve endings in your lips than in your fingertips (cosmopolitan.com), so I guess that's what makes it feel so awesome.
6. Kissing, as well as chewing gum, helps prevent lockjaw, which I guess is good (5 Healthy Benefits of Tongue Kissing).
7. The extra saliva provided by your kissing partner apparently helps wash bacteria off your teeth and break down plaque (webmd.com). Does that mean I get to postpone my dentist visit even longer? Unfortunately, Matthew Messina, DDS, says that he does not recommend kissing as a replacement to brushing.
8. Kissing is good for your immune system. Sharing your particular brand of germs with your kissing partner and vice verse supposedly strengthens your immune system (webmd.com).
9. You get to get pretty close to the person you are kissing.
10. Kissing is really fun. Besides putting that spring in your step, it can also plaster a goofy half-smile on your face.