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A hug can make a big difference for women, according to a new study. Unfortunately, the effect is not as powerful when it comes to men.
Researchers analyzed how 76 people responded to stress after a hug from a romantic partner in a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Women who got to hug their significant other showed a decrease in the production of cortisol --a stress hormone -- compared with those who did not.
Cortisol can have an impact on memory recall, which could make the stressful task ahead even more difficult, said senior study author Julian Packheiser, a postdoctoral researcher with the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
The study had a small sample size, but it's expertly done and adds to a solid body of science said Kory Floyd, professor of communication at The University of Arizona. Floyd was not involved in the study.
It's no surprise that touch helps with the body's regulation, Packheiser said.
Affection with someone you love releases a neurotransmitter called oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," which reduces cortisol levels. This response, paired with social support, buffers against stress, according to the study.
And other studies have looked at the benefits of longer contact, like a massage, on physical stress responses from the endocrine system, which regulates the release of hormones, and sympathetic nervous system, which drives the body's quick "fight-or-flight" response to stressful situations. But this research offers scientific evidence of a more immediately gratifying option.
Now that some of the restrictions of the pandemic have lifted in much of the world, it's helpful to know that we have another tool at the ready to help defend against the stressors of the world, he added.
Why don't men seethe same cortisol decrease? It's hard to say, researchers acknowledged.
It could be asocial factor, where many of the men might not have felt as good about the hugs because they are societally perceived as unusual or awkward for men, Packheiser said. It could also have to do with the difference in touch receptors in men's and women's biology, he added.
The result difference was unexpected and is not necessarily the final word on the matter, he said.
"Just because we did not find the effect in men, (doesn't mean) that it is not there,"Packheiser wrote in an email. "The effect could simply be smaller and was just undetected."
It is safe to say that a hug really does help most people, regardless of their gender, to process and face stressful situation and make the most of what they have, and even though men are less susceptible to the effects, due to society and socially acceptable behaviour, it does still help. Thank you Madeline Holcombe, CNN for a brilliant article, and shedding some light on the blissful effects of hugs
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