A whole new meaning to the kiss of life

We’ve just had National Kissing Day and if you look into the science behind snogging, it seems it adds years to your life as well many other health benefits.

Apparently locking lips isn’t just about passion and romance but a form of exercise, can protect against illnesses and even prevent tooth decay.

Men who kiss their partners goodbye in the mornings before leaving for work live an average of five years longer than those who don’t.

They’re less likely to miss work due to illness, have a lower chance of an accident on the way to work and can earn around 20 to 30 per cent more a month than non-kissing blokes, according to research.

The study claims this is because the kissers begin their day with a positive attitude while the non-kissers leave the house with a lack of confidence.

So next time your other half plants a morning smacker on your lips, don’t be fooled into thinking they’re being loving and affectionate – it’s just a sneaky tactic to extend their lifespan.

Kissing is also a calorie burner. Admittedly it only burns between two and six calories a minute but it sure beats a stint on the treadmill.

Forget the flossing, dentists should be promoting kissing as a tooth decay prevention measure.

The theory is it increases the mouth’s production of saliva which cleans away the bacteria likely to cause cavities.

Puckering up will help you stay looking youthful too as it’s like a facial workout softening lines and wrinkles and providing a healthy glow.

It’s not just all hearts and flowers in a romantic way, kissing is great for a healthy heart as well as a happy one and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

With all these benefits of kissing to life, who said romance was dead?

It got me wondering if all the kissing health perks extend to the online world.

Do kisses on the bottom of emails or those at the end of text messages count when it comes to adding years to your life?

It might explain the kissing diarrhoea some people suffer from when sending out emails or texts which sometimes makes you feel like the “x” on their keyboard has suffered a sticking malfunction.

While I’m not averse to giving and receiving virtual kisses, there’s something slightly disconcerting about receiving kisses on an email or text from a stranger or mere acquaintance.

Indeed one of my colleagues gets so incensed by over familiarity and fake affection on emails, he says he automatically deletes any which begin: “I hope you are having a lovely day” and end with a kiss.

Etiquette seems to state you should only send e-kisses to someone you would actually kiss.

Of course, some of these virtual kisses can be accidental.

How many times has your heart sank as you’ve pressed send on a text only to realise you added xxx in your reply to your boss?

Inadvertent kisses shouldn’t however be confused with stolen ones.

You know that fact about men living longer if they kiss their partner in the mornings? Well it doesn’t apply to kissing their mistress.

That’s more likely to shave years off your life.