Love And Health

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Love And Health

Research Examines Love’s Impact On Health

With Valentine’s Day is around the corner, you need to consider this: There’s actually some real science behind those feelings of romance and affection.

Love actually can make us healthier, so much so that if you could bottle it, you would have an incredible wonder drug.

If a growing body of research is to be believed, love can
-lengthen your life
-ward off stress
-boost your immune system
-lower your blood pressure
-protect you from colds and flu
-blunt your response to pain
-hasten wound healing and
-lower your risk of dementia in old age.

Scientists are beginning to discover that apart from food, exercise,stress, lifestyle, there is one facet of life that ranks above all in determining wellness and longevity. This facet is the level of love and connectedness that we feel.

A study of nearly 1,400 people with heart disease found that those with a spouse or confidant died at approximately one-third the rate of those who had no one to confide in. Past research on love and health also presented by ABC News reported on a study showing that being with a spouse or partner is linked with a drop in blood pressure.

Well-respected author and medical doctor, Dean Ornish, makes a powerful claim for the value of love and intimacy: “I am not aware of any other factor in medicine – not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery – that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness, and premature death from all causes. Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer, and what leads to healing.”

In summary, if you are interested in wellness and longevity, it appears fruitful to foster meaningful relationships that provide a sense of love and connectedness. As Dr. Ornish states succinctly, “Know that this really matters to your health.”