Why Hugs Feel Good

Why Hugs Feel Good Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling At The Healing Center Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, adrenal fatigue and other complex health issues. By: Mary Beth Gudewicz, CNTP, MNT You wake up and realize your alarm didn’t go off, you have to get the kids to school while getting yourself to work and that is just the beginning of your day. You meet a friend for lunch and she takes one look at you and then gives you a long hug. All of a sudden you feel calm. Ever wonder why? It’s because there is a physiological response that is triggered in our body when we are hugging or being hugged. Science has been researching what a hug does to our body, how it responds and the mechanisms involved. The mechanisms involved in the body are the hormone oxytocin and the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Oxytocin is a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland and acts as a neuromodulator, a neuron that uses one or more neurotransmitters to regulate other neurons, in the brain. This hormone is secreted by the body during childbirth and in breastfeeding where it stimulates release of milk. This was thought to be its only function, but newer research has shown that it has many more effects such as improving social skills, fighting stress and encouraging trust. The skin contains Pacinian corpuscles, tiny egg-shaped pressure centers that can sense touch and are in contact with the brain through the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is...