Cuddling helps couples live stress-free

London, November 15: Nothing may sound better than cuddling to keep stress at bay as a new study suggests that couples are less liable to get stressed if they are physically intimate and more so if they are married.

The study by Zurich University lasted for about a week and involved 51 double-income couples of German origin, of which most were married.
Observations indicated that couples who were physically closer, kissed and hugged more or had sex often were found to be less stressed.

The reason to these observations was the level of the stress hormone. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is secreted by the body. Couples preferring intimacy recorded lower levels of cortisol in their saliva. In incidents of fight and stress, body secretes high levels of cortisol and results in stress-related changes in the body.

The study's online report showed that there were couples who were undergoing stressed at workplaces but the level of cortisol recorded in their saliva was much less due to more intimacy between them.

Researcher Beate Ditzen, who led the study at Zurich University, noted that physical intimacy and cuddling keeps hormone levels in control by lifting up moods.

The research and its findings were published in 'Psychosomatic Medicine'.

She further commented that couples should cultivate closeness in their relationship by showing affection and intimacy but beware of getting into any kind of competition in their way of expressions, as it may defeat the actual purpose of overcoming stress.