February is the month of love! So we’re talking all things love and heart-related for this month’s articles. First up, is love really good for you? Let’s discuss the benefits of love and how experiencing love can be good for you.
Key Takeaways
- Love can give a boost to your mental health by reducing stress and increasing happiness.
- Evidence suggests strong romantic and platonic relationships can positively affect your physical health, specifically your heart health and immune system.
- Love can increase your pain tolerance and help you recover from injury or surgery quicker.
- Supportive relationships have been shown to increase life expectancy and improve quality of sleep.
- Feeling loved fosters emotional security and can help reduce anxiety.
Five Ways the Benefits of Love Helps Your Body Thrive
While some may think of love as just an abstract concept or a feeling that sweeps you off your feet for a period of time, studies show it can be a powerful force with tangible effects on your health. The benefits of love go far beyond simply romance with the ability to boost your mood and enhance your physical well-being. Here are five ways love helps your body thrive.
- Love Reduces Stress and Anxiety
One of the most notable benefits of love is its ability to fight the stress hormone cortisol to help you feel more relaxed and less anxious. By helping your brain produce more oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone,” love helps foster feelings of trust and security. Combined, these occurrences have the potential to lower chronic stress conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease (the leading cause of death for adults in America).
- Love Supports Heart Health
When people think about love, the heart is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but perhaps not for the reasons it should. Studies show that people in healthy, loving relationships are less likely to have high blood pressure and enjoy a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. This can be attributed to multiple factors like eating healthier and exercising more to look good for the one you love, and reducing stress.
- Love Improves Your Immune System
Did you know that a loving relationship can do wonders for your immune system? The boosts of oxytocin and dopamine that your brain releases when you’re in love help you feel good in more ways than just their primary functions. By strengthening your body’s ability to fight off illness, they keep you feeling healthy, too. People in supportive relationships are shown to be less likely to experience the negative effects that stress can have on the immune system. In turn, they don’t have as hard of a time fending off colds and also recover from illnesses more quickly.
- Love Eases Pain
Love has a unique ability to ease both physical and emotional pain. Research shows that just thinking about someone you love can activate your brain’s reward system to reduce your body’s perception of pain. The effects are increased if physical touch like a hug or kiss is involved.
- Love Increases Longevity
Do people in love live longer? Studies show that happy, committed couples (especially men) live longer than people who are single or in unhealthy relationships. This can be attributed to most of the benefits we listed above: lower stress, better physical health, and a strong support system.
Stay Heart-Healthy with RMC’s Heart & Vascular Care
Love can be a powerful force, but if you’re concerned about your heart health, we would love to help address your concerns. Whether you’re looking to lower your stress levels, address a family history of heart disease, or strengthen your heart, we can assist you. Contact us today to start your journey to a healthier you!