A study published earlier this month suggests that, in addition to making us feel connected with others, all those hugs may have prevented us from getting sick. At first, this finding probably seems counterintuitive (not to mention bizarre). You might think, like I did, that hugging hundreds of strangers would increase your exposure to germs and therefore the likelihood of falling ill. But the new research out of Carnegie Mellon indicates that feeling connected to others, especially through physical touch, protects us from stress-induced sickness. This research adds to a large amount of evidence for the positive influence of social support on health. ln the second paragraph, the author implies that the study shows hugs to be

A) the only proven method of preventing sickness.

B) less successful than social support in protecting people from colds and other illnesses.

C) not conclusively effective at helping people maintain good health.

D) one of several ways to guard against some illnesses.