Just interesting

The Kissing Cure
By Lois B. Morris
When in the throes of an allergy attack or a skin rash, it may help to pucker up. A Japanese study suggests that kissing reduces allergic responses. Among the 48 subjects, half suffered from eczema (a form of atopic dermatitis), and half had hay fever. All the volunteers kissed their lover or spouse for 30 minutes while listening to romantic music. Two weeks later, they listened to the same music and embraced their partner without kissing. Blood tests revealed that after the kissing phase only, the participants experienced a significant decrease in their levels of immunoglobulin E (IGE), an antibody that the immune system produces in response to allergens, thereby eliciting an allergic reaction. Allergist Hajime Kimata of Satou Hospital in Osaka also triggered skin rashes in people allergic to dust mites or latex and determined that after kissing, their IGE levels dropped significantly as well. Relaxation and stress relief from kissing may bring about this immune response, Kimata says.