It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. You may be surrounded by roses, chocolates and everything else that symbolises love – which is surely a lovely feeling when you have a loving partner by your side. So, if you belong in this category do you know you’re helping your health?
Yes, you read that right. Loving relationships can do wonders for your health. They can help reduce your blood pressure, manage stress, and improve immunity. Wondering how?
Let’s dive in.
Lowers blood pressure
We don’t need to tell you this but high blood pressure is a big catalyst for heart problems. You cannot afford to undermine high blood pressure. Turns out, loving relationships can help lower blood pressure if multiple studies are concerned.
The hypothesis is that blood pressure is affected positively in response to the calm and peace you feel when you are in a loving and happy relationship.
Lowers anxiety
Do you feel less stressed with your partner? This cannot come as a surprise that being in love can lower anxiety. All thanks to hormones such as dopamine and a brain chemical called oxytocin. These hormones and chemicals make you feel good by lowering your stress.
Stress is usually caused by cortisol. Being surrounded by a loved one whom you feel peaceful and comfortable with can lower these hormone levels to create greater homeostasis.
Helps control pain
You now know that love can help with anxiety and blood pressure. But did you know it can also help with controlling pain? According to multiple studies, loving relationships can activate a certain part in the brain which is responsible for keeping pain under control.
The study indicated that you may feel relieved of the synchronisation of our brainwaves, making painful stimuli seem less painful.
As per a study, it was observed that both men and women appeared to be more resilient to pain when they had their romantic partner present. In fact, the pain tolerance became higher with the romantic partner’s level of empathy.
Promotes healing
You can consider love to be a remedy to your wounds for real. Apparently, a loving relationship may help heal wounds faster. A study conducted by Ohio State University concluded that wounds (blister wounds) healed faster in couples in a healthy relationship – in fact, two times faster than those couples who exhibited hostility towards each other.
May also prevent you from having cold
Didn’t see this coming, did you? Turns out, being in love can boost immunity, which may prevent colds and flu. Although there is no clarity about why and how it happens, hormone responses are believed to be the reason.
It may even help you live longer
You may be surprised but the research says that happily married couples are more likely to live longer, as opposed to those who have never been married. There is no established reason but it is believed that the happier you are with someone, the longer you live.
Closing thoughts
In essence, Valentine’s Day is a sweet reminder that love does more than make our hearts flutter; it’s a genuine boost for our health. Beyond the flowers and romantic dinners, the warmth of loving relationships has a scientifically proven impact on our well-being. From reducing stress to improving mental health, the positive vibes of a strong connection are like a tonic for our bodies and minds. So, as we revel in the Valentine’s Day festivities, let’s not just enjoy the flowers and chocolates, but also appreciate the genuine, feel-good impact that love has on our overall health. Cheers to the heartwarming moments that make life not only romantic but also a little healthier!
