Seven good reasons why kissing is good for health

1) IT HELPS PREVENT TOOTH DECAY

Dr. Peter Gorden, Dental Advisor at the British Dental Association, explains: "After eating, your mouth is full of sugar solution and acidic saliva, which cause plaque build up. Kissing is nature's own cleaning process," he adds. "It stimulates salivary flow and brings plaque levels down to normal."

2) IT RELIEVES TENSION

Stress Consultant Michelle Kay Mcnabb says, "A passionate kiss is a great relaxation technique, when your mouth is in a kissing position, you're almost smiling and, as our emotions and body language are so closely linked, it's almost impossible to smile and feel tense at the same time," she explains. "Also, your breathing becomes deeper and your eyes close when you kiss - that's what you do when you relax. It's a perfect way to shut out the world."

3) IT HELPS YOU TO LOSE WEIGHT

A long kiss makes the metabolism burn up sugar faster than usual," says Claire Potter, Cosmo's Fitness Consultant, "The calories burned depend on the intensity, but you can rely on10 calories every ten minutes."

4) IT SLOWS THE AGING PROCESS

"Kissing helps to tone ur cheek and jaw muscles, so they're less likely to sag," adds Claire Potter.

5) IT INCREASES FITNESS LEVELS

Your heart is pumping, your pulse is racing... "If kissing is exciting, you release adrenaline into the bloodstream and your heart pumps more blood in your body," according to Dr. Susan Hotchkies. "It's a great cardiovascular workout."

6) IT'S A GOOD INDICATION OF WHAT'S TO COME

Kissing a partner gives you the perfect opportunity to check out his/her pheromones - these are the chemical messengers that signal sexual attraction. "The first kiss is always a good way to work out if there's any chemistry between you, "says Paul Brown, a sexual and marital therapist." In humans, it's thought that smells plays a vital part in subconscious attraction, and if your pheromones aren't 'in tune', you're unlikely to hit off in other areas."

And finally...

7) IT BOOSTS SELF-ESTEEM

There's nothing better than a passionate kiss for a major dose of feel - good factor. "In theory, when u're kissing, you're happy. And when you're happy, you feel good about yourself," says psychotherapist Paul Zeal.