A new study has shown that one hug from a romantic partner is enough to lower a woman's stress hormone levels.

We are social animals, evolved from extremely social apes who spend hours touching each other. Luckily though, we don't have to spend hours grooming one another in order to relax after a work day, a stressful test, or an unforeseen problem—it only takes a hug from a loved one.

Behind the finding is the release of oxytocin during a hug. Known as the love hormone, it reduces circulating cortisol, buffering the stress response.

Men, interestingly enough, did not show a statistically-significant reduction in cortisol levels, but the researchers caution that this doesn't mean it's not there.

"The effect could simply be smaller and was just undetected," senior study author Julian Packheiser, a postdoctoral researcher with the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, told CNN. 

It could have been the social setting of the institute trial. Being placed in strange conditions may have brought out underlying social pressures for men to appear hard and strong.

The benefits of hugging aren't all touchy-feely either. The study authors point out in their introduction that embracing has been shown to reduce blood pressure, and is also associated with decreases in inflammation as well as with increased subjective well-being, as well as a resilience towards infection and an accelerated recovery from viruses.

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