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Healing Power Of Parents' Saliva Could Actually Be Based On Science

Bye bye, boo-boos!
Nicole S. Young via Getty Images

A new study has demonstrated the powers of human saliva, and it might give your kids a solid case for making you kiss their boo-boos each and every time they fall down.

As published in the FASEB Journal, research looked at why cuts in the mouth heal faster and quicker than ones on your skin, and found that a particular peptide (histatin-1, for those wondering) assists in the building of blood vessels, the growth of new cells, and plenty more.

As noted by CafeMom, this could mean that the saliva that transfers to your kids' cuts and scrapes might actually be helping them heal faster. Science, you're amazing!

This isn't the first time the potential healing properties of saliva have been noted. In 2008, Swedish researchers identified histatin as the component responsible for helping wounds close — this current research takes it to the next level and looks at how that happens.

There are times, however, when kissing an open wound will do more harm than good.

A note: there are times when kissing an open wound will do more harm than good, such as when someone is a carrier of a contagious, and potentially damaging virus, like herpes. It could result in an infection, and in some serious cases, death.

So though (hopefully) your kid isn't getting too many open wounds from playground bumps and scrapes, there's something to be said for getting right in there and showing them the love by kissing them better. Even if your saliva isn't a factor in making them feel better, you know your loving arms will be.

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