Oh, to be young and in love!
We’re officially celebrating the month of LOVE, but hey, it’s not just in February that we want to feel love. The Beatles famous song says, "All we need is love," and that's absolutely the truth, especially now that researchers have found that love and health are connected surprisingly.
According to Harry Reis, Ph.D., the co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, “There is very nice evidence that people who participate in satisfying, long-term relationships fare better on a whole variety of health measures."
Still not convinced? Then why not continue reading these three research-backed benefits of being in love? Here they are:
Less Stress and Depression
The Health and Human Services have reported that getting and staying married reduces anxiety and stress in both men and women. And as interpreted by Reis, this is not that surprising since social isolation has been linked to higher rates of depression.
Additionally, marriage contributes also declines to substance abuse and heavy drinking, especially among young adults.
Lower Blood Pressure
Happy wife, happy life. We all know that. But guess what! According to the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, happily married people have the best blood pressure, and then they are followed by the singles. Those that fared the worst are unhappily married participants.
Positive relationships undeniably have a positive influence on a person's health. Singles that have a strong social network have also lower blood pressure during the study, although not as well as those happily married people who were also part of the study.
Fast Healing on Flesh Wounds
Researchers from Ohio State University Medical Center conducted a study where they gave married couples blister wounds and found out that a positive relationship can make flesh wounds heal fast. The wounds healed twice in spouses that are in a loving relationship compared to those that are hostile towards each other. This study was then published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
And by the way, apart from these three that we've highlighted, we also want to share with you that being in love can also lead to better stress management, lesser risk of being depressed, and experiencing fewer colds. Isn't that cool?
So, stay in love even when February ends, and always seek a positive and nurturing relationship if you want to experience all of these benefits that we've mentioned.