The Unromantic Truth About Why You Kiss

[Guest guest]

How interesting, and Dr. Mercola’s comments are of

particular interest if you are trying to get pregnant and having problems!

 

 

The Unromantic Truth About Why You Kiss

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

 

November 21 2009 | 30,589

views

 

The kiss may

have evolved for reasons that are far more practical - and less alluring - than

prevously thought.

British

scientists believe it developed to spread germs.

They say that

the uniquely human habit allows a bug that is dangerous in pregnancy to be

passed from man to woman to give her time to build up immunity.

 

Cytomegalovirus, which lurks in saliva, normally causes no problems. But it can

be extremely dangerous if caught while pregnant and can kill unborn babies or

cause birth defects. These can include problems ranging from deafness to

cerebral palsy.

Writing in the

journal Medical Hypotheses,

researcher Dr Colin Hendrie from the University

of Leeds said:

“Female inoculation with a specific male's cytomegalovirus is most

efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange,

particularly where the flow of saliva is from the male to the typically shorter

female.”

 

Kissing the same person for about six months provides optimum protection, he

added. As the relationships progresses and the kisses become more passionate,

her immunity builds up.

Previously scientists have claimed that kissing acts as a

form of evolutionary quality control, with saliva holding clues to fertility,

health and genes.

 

Sources:

 

Mail Online

November 1, 2009

 

Medical

Hypotheses October 12, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although not as romantic a

notion as we might like, the theory that kissing may have a far more important

biological function than the pleasure of bonding makes sense.

 

Sharing germs through kissing, prior to pregnancy, which allows the woman to

develop natural immunity that protects the couple’s offspring, is a

simple and elegant solution against a potentially devastating infection.

The

Curious Biology of Sexual Attraction and Lasting Love

Needless to

say, the reason why we kiss is not the only area of human sexuality that has

been explored by researchers. Virtually every nook and cranny of sexuality and

procreation has been investigated, to find out the elusive reasons for why you

do what you do.

Pheromones,

for example, likely set the stage for the “immunity-building”

exercise of kissing. Because without the right chemical signals, you probably

wouldn’t get around to kissing in the first place.

Pheromones are

chemical signals that animals secrete to communicate their gender or

reproductive status to other animals – and humans are no exception.

Even though

you don’t consciously recognize the smell of pheromones, these chemicals

likely play a role in helping you find a suitable partner.

For example,

if you’ve ever found yourself inexplicably attracted to a stranger

you’ve just met, it could very well be their chemical signals that you

find irresistible. Humans tend to be attracted to those with a dissimilar

genetic make-up to themselves, which is signaled by subtle odors. This ensures

genetic diversity for the species.

Researchers

have actually confirmed the presence of a “secret

sex nerve” (Nerve “O”), which has endings in your nasal

cavity. Nerve O’s fibers go directly to the sexual regions of your brain,

and because Nerve O bypasses the olfactory cortex, it does not register a

conscious smell, but rather identifies chemical sexual cues.

 

Interestingly, this biological strategy designed to ensure healthy offspring

and a diversified gene pool, has been artificially altered through modern

medicine, with the invention of the contraceptive pill.

As it turns

out, pregnant women are drawn to

people with a similar chemical

makeup. And when a woman takes a hormonal contraceptive, her body believes, in

a sense, that she is pregnant even though she’s not.

This hormonal

alteration causes her to become unconsciously attracted to men with a similar,

rather than different, chemical makeup. Unfortunately, couples who have high

levels of chemicals in common are more likely to encounter fertility issues,

miscarriage, and even infidelity.

It could even

explain the inexplicable – why so many people have such a hard time

maintaining long-term attraction, and staying “in love”…

Because according to researchers, odor perception also plays a significant role

in maintaining attraction to

partners.

When the woman

stops taking the contraceptive pill, she again becomes more attracted to people

with a dissimilar genetic blueprint from her own. So, the level of attraction

felt to a specific person while on the pill may change once she stops taking

the pill.

Finding a

partner who is chemically different from yourself appears to give you the best

chance of reproducing successfully, and enjoying continual attraction to each

other, without infidelity.

For some

people this may be enough to reconsider the pill, but there are even more

important reasons to avoid birth control pills. Birth control pills alter many

chemical signals in your body, which is the real reason why I strongly suggest

that women

avoid birth control pills like the plague and seek out natural

family planning methods instead.