Clinical studies done over the years have found that a loving touch can lower our blood pressure, reduce anxiety and stress, and raise the levels of our good hormones. Matt Hertenstein is an experimental psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana. He studies how touching can affect a person’s physical and emotional health. Hertenstein has written many articles on the power of touch. He writes in a 2010 report that if a child does not have enough loving touches early in life, the brain does not grow to normal size. Also, the connections between neurons do not develop properly. In a recent interview with National Public Radio (NPR), Hertenstein said he found that loving touches can lower levels of cortisol sometimes called the “stress hormone” -- and raise levels of oxytocin -- sometimes called the “cuddle” or “bonding hormone.” Even simple hand-holding causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to drop.
Title: The Power of Touch
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/touch_audio.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='The Power of Touch' data-article-id='1244'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15813'>Clinical studies done over the years have found that a loving touch can lower our blood pressure, reduce anxiety and stress, and raise the levels of our good hormones.</span> <span data-start-time='15813' data-end-time='23833'>Matt Hertenstein is an experimental psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana. </span> <span data-start-time='23833' data-end-time='30479'>He studies how touching can affect a person’s physical and emotional health. </span> <span data-start-time='30479' data-end-time='35458'>Hertenstein has written many articles on the power of touch.</span> <span data-start-time='35458' data-end-time='47708'>He writes in a 2010 report that if a child does not have enough loving touches early in life, the brain does not grow to normal size. </span> <span data-start-time='47708' data-end-time='54042'>Also, the connections between neurons do not develop properly.</span> <span data-start-time='54042' data-end-time='74958'>In a recent interview with National Public Radio (NPR), Hertenstein said he found that loving touches can lower levels of cortisol sometimes called the “stress hormone” -- and raise levels of oxytocin -- sometimes called the “cuddle” or “bonding hormone.”</span> <span data-start-time='74958' data-end-time='82604'>Even simple hand-holding causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to drop.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/touch_image.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=5308 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/what_does_reduce_mean.m4a'>What does reduce mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='make smaller or less in amount'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/to_make_believe.m4a'><span>to make believe</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/make_smaller_or_less_in_amount.m4a'><span>make smaller or less in amount</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/perfectly_clear.m4a'><span>perfectly clear</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/causing_embarrassment.m4a'><span>causing embarrassment</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=5309 data-hint-location='35458' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/what_is_affected_if_a_child_does_not_receive_enough_loving_touch.m4a'>What is affected if a child does not receive enough loving touch?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='brain size'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/social_anxiety.m4a'><span>social anxiety</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/attachment.m4a'><span>attachment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/brain_size.m4a'><span>brain size</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/self_confidence.m4a'><span>self confidence</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=5310 data-hint-location='23833' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/hertenstein_studies_how_touching_affects_physical_and_emotional__blank_.m4a'>Hertenstein studies how touching affects physical and emotional <span class='blank'>health</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='health'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/beings.m4a'><span>beings</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/relationships.m4a'><span>relationships</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/health.m4a'><span>health</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/830/awareness.m4a'><span>awareness</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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