“The smile is the shortest distance between two persons.” Victor Borge. The act of smiling has intrigued scientists over the ages. The best-known earlier study in this regard was a French study on smiling, whose findings were published in 1862. The French anatomist Guillaume Duchenne studied emotional expression by stimulating various facial muscles with electrical currents.  This technique was so painful that he probably ran out of volunteers, as he started performing some of his tests on the severed heads of executed criminals! The anatomy of a smile involves two sets of muscles waiting readily and are roused into action when the emotional center of the brain initiates a smile.  The zygomatic major muscles reside in the cheeks and tugs

Have you ever wondered which factors contribute to a good life? Why do some people live happy lives? And others not? A study tracking the lives of 724 men over the past 78 years has come up with some very interesting findings. This Harvard Study of Adult Development has found five major factors that contribute to a happy life. Happy childhoods matter: Children having warm relationships with their parents are predicted to have warmer and more secure relationships with those closest to them in adulthood. Warmer childhood relationships also predict better physical health in adulthood, even into old age. Fostering the welfare of the next generation can ease the sting of difficult childhoods: People who grew up in difficult childhood

A bumper sticker from the hippy era in the Sixties read: “Candy is dandy, but sex don’t rot your teeth!”   Apart from the “feel good” emotional benefits, are there are any other physiological benefits for your body? Hugging: Hugging increases levels of oxytocin, the so called “love hormone”, which may benefit your heart health. Regularly hugging a loved one can result in lower blood pressure and a healthier heart rate. It also helps to reduce levels of cortisol, the chronic stress hormone, in the body Kissing: Kissing prompts your brain to release feel-good chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Regular kissing with your partner can significantly reduce stress levels. Sex: A healthy sex life has many beneficial effects