Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found that hugs help reduce a person's stress, making them less prone to illness.

While hugs are an easy way to show affection, an added perk is that they may also help boost immunity.

According to a new study from Carnegie Mellon University, hugs can boost a person's immune system by easing stress that can lead to sickness.

404 adult participants began the study by answering a questionnaire about their social support system and how big of a role it had in their everyday lives.

For two weeks, researchers called participants every evening to see what stress-inducing situations, if any, occurred that day, along with how many hugs they had received.

Afterwards, they were all exposed to the common cold and placed in quarantine so their symptoms could be observed.

It was revealed that the more socially-supported participants who reported receiving more hugs suffered less severe symptoms than their less-hugged counterparts.

Researchers aren't positive if this correlation has to do with the physical contact of a hug or the feeling of support and intimacy it can provide.

Regardless, they believe their findings show that hugs help protect people from getting sick.