How Love Keeps You Healthy
It doesn't just put a
sparkle in your eye—love can fight disease, boost immunity, and lower stress
Who doesn't love being in love? A true
Valentine listens to you vent about work, lets you have that last slice of
pizza, and (usually) remembers to take out the trash. He doesn't expect you to
watch the Super Bowl. And he always thinks you're sexy, even in thermal
underwear and bunny slippers.
Scientists have long been keen to prove
that love gives us health benefits, too—beyond the obvious advantage of always
having a date for New Year's Eve. Researchers can't say for sure that romance
trumps an affectionate family or warm friendships when it comes to wellness.
But they are homing in on how sex, kinship, and caring all seem to make us
stronger, with health gains that range from faster healing to living
longer.
The benefits of love are explicit and
measurable:
·
Protects your heart A University of
Pittsburgh study found that women in good marriages have a much lower risk of
cardiovascular disease than those in high-stress relationships.
·
Leads to a longer life The National
Longitudinal Mortality Study, which has been tracking more than a million
subjects since 1979, shows that married people live longer. Plus, they have
fewer heart attacks and lower cancer rates, and even get pneumonia
less frequently than singles.
·
Helps beat cancer University of Iowa
researchers found that ovarian cancer patients with a strong sense of
connection to others and satisfying relationships had more vigorous
"natural killer" cell activity at the site of the tumor than those
who didn't have those social ties. (These desirable white blood cells kill
cancerous cells as part of the body's immune system.)
Some experts think it won't be long before
doctors prescribe steamy sex, romantic getaways, and caring communication in
addition to low-cholesterol diets and plenty of rest.
(Read more at Prevention.com)
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