Hugs are medicine and the key is oxytocin

There are those who accompany it They say goodbye There is, too Reunion And fun. It can have many meanings, however Hugs They are always signs of affection. Above all, They are healers. by all mean of the word.

“It turns out Hugging relieves pain Physically,” explains the psychiatrist and writer Marian Rojas Estape. The explanation lies in all the substances that the body secretes when hugging occurs. Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins…are the neurotransmitters that produce a calming effect, Analgesic, causing a Feeling comfortable.

“Oxytocin is the key to hugs. It reduces stress and anxiety.”

But what happens above all when we make this gesture is OxytocinIt is a substance that acts as a hormone and a neurotransmitter “The key to the hug.” “When you release oxytocin, you can Reducing levels pressure tension, anxiety. That person can Sleep betterand feel that your immune system “It is regulated,” explains Dr. Rojas. “Those who receive hugs feel better mentally and physically.”

Eight hugs a day, for eight seconds

How much do you have to Another hug To produce this relief? As proven by the American researcher Paul J. Zach, who Eight seconds levels The tension begins to decrease. And from twenty, A state of Relax and calm. Another measure is daily hugs. according to Psychiatrist Virginia Satir, Need Four hugs a day to surviveEight to sustain ourselves and twelve to grow.

“We are investigating oxytocin to detect possible social changes.”

in it CSIC Neuroscience Institute Investigate Oxytocin. “We work with 3D technologies in Brain circuitsTo see how it is shaped during development and to be able to define what is possible Social unrest and turmoil“, communicate Sandra JuradoDirector of the Department of Cellular Neurobiology at CSIC.

But not only in a hug impact Neural circuits. The same applies to parenting styles. Link bonds And childhood experiences. “On a biochemical level we are all equal, however We don't all hug with the same intensity Not even the same number of times,” explains psychoanalyst Susana Ruiz.

“The hugs we receive as children influence the hugs we give us as adults.”

“Does this mean that all children who receive affection will be affectionate? No, but it helps a lot.” How they took care of us when we were young When it comes to relating as we grow up.

Hugs: More oxytocin, less cortisol

During the pandemic We miss a lot HugsThis absence also had an impact on us Psychological health. “At that time We get cortisol poisoningIt is the hormone of fear, stress, and uncertainty…and They withheld oxytocin from us: “Don't hug yourself, don't touch yourself,” Rojas Estape says.

but now, Do we hug each other enough? Maybe less than recommended. Don't forget, and don't embrace today just because it's today. A hug, or a little one, is always medicine.