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More Kissing Can Save Your Marriage, Says Science

Sex is great and all, but according to a recent article by Jill Blakeway, clinic director of the YinOva Center and author of Sex Again: Recharging Your Libido, on the Huffington Post, kissing just may be more important.

An estimated 40 million Americans are living in sexless marriages, according to Blakeway. Somewhat counterintuitively, jumping right back into the sack may not alleviate this problem. Instead, she recommends couples start with the basics to recharge their sex lives: K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Blakeway says kissing can be "more intimate than having sex," but is often one of the first things to go in marriage that is losing its passion. "[I've had patients tell me,] 'We used to spend hours kissing,'" says Blakeway. "Then I would ask, 'Well how long do you spend kissing now?' One patient said 'When I first get in, I kiss my dog. Then I kiss my husband.'"

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Kissing is crucial to the success of a relationship, says Blakeway. "Kissing is one of the first ways we connect sexually. And then over time it goes down. But there are some physical things that make kissing important." Kissing decreases your level of cortisol, a stress-causing hormone, and increases oxytocin, a hormone that encourages bonding, she notes. Kissing relaxes, builds a connection between partners - and gets us ready to "perform" in bed. "Chinese medicine says that the mouth and the tongue have a connection to the heart. So it's the same idea. Kissing attaches people to each other," says Blakeway.

So remember, you're never too old for a good old-fashioned make-out session - it may even save your marriage or relationship.

What role does kissing play in your relationship?

Written by Caitlyn Hitt for YourTango.com.


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