Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it may just be that your significant other is helping you in more ways than you expect. It turns out, that according to researchers, there may be some significant health benefits of love.
The type of love may matter. Calmer and stabilizing love may provide more benefits than the ups and downs of a new relationship.
Enjoy a Longer Life
Marriage and love make people feel a little less alone, and loneliness can be associated with multiple types of mortality. That connection that comes with the relationship may just help you to live longer. This is sort of the ultimate health benefit of love.
A Decrease in Anxiety
The social bonds that come with a long-term relationship or a marriage can help stabilize your mind, resulting in less anxiety. It’s no surprise that connection can help calm the mind.
Boost Your Immune System
A long-term loving relationship may just be able to give your immune system a boost as well. According to this study from Tulane University, women who fell in love experienced an increase in genes that assisted in their antiviral defenses.
Fewer Doctor Visits
Those who are in relationships tend to recover more quickly and experience the boosts of a healthier immune system. These benefits can help you to see the doctor less, according to this article.
Healthier Heart
Good strong relationships can also have benefits on heart health. There’s a lower risk for cardiovascular disease compared with those in stressful relationships, or those that feel more lonely.
Decreases in Pain
The love of a long-term and stable relationship can also help to decrease chronic pain. It may reduce things like back pain or headaches.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Married couples and those in long-term relationships tend to have lower blood pressure than those unhappily married or single, according to this article. That feeling of elation may actually be your blood pressure.
