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Being single is trendy. You don’t have to take anyone into account, you don’t have to be accountable and you can even have sex with whoever you want. But as a single person you cannot enjoy all the benefits that a relationship has to offer. You have no one to discuss your day with, household chores are not shared and you bear the costs of living alone.
A relationship, on the other hand, means an end to loneliness. There is always someone who wants to do nice things with you and talk to you. But a love relationship is not just for fun and pleasure; it does your body good. We are not talking about the wild phase of being in love , which often comes with ups and downs, but about a stable and long-lasting love relationship.
Love is what we need
Stable love and health are connected in surprising ways. Humans are designed to connect with each other, and when that happens, there are rewards that have a positive effect on your health. The relationships you have with other people are vital to your mental and emotional well-being. LL Cool J sang about it in the 90s in his song “I Need Love” and Robert Ten Brink has been convinced of it for just as long; “All You Need Is Love.” They’re both right. In fact, you can’t live without relationships as a human being if you want to live a healthy life.
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Health benefits
A love relationship brings you companionship, friendship, love, security and happiness in your life. But it also provides health benefits. According to research, being in a good relationship indicates better social integration, which has been found to produce positive health outcomes and longevity. Conversely, if you are in a bad relationship, it is harmful to your health .
Some studies even say that the absence of a happy love relationship can be as damaging to health as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. If you have a partner, you get access to a larger social network of family, friends and other people in the circle around you. This larger social network offers many health benefits in itself. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There is compelling evidence that strong, happy relationships contribute to a long, healthy, and happy life. Science says that relationships are good for you, but why? Here are 9 reasons why relationships are good for your health, according to science.
1. You live longer
A relationship doesn’t make you immortal, but it can help you last longer. According to various studies, you live longer if you are in a relationship. Multiple studies examining people’s mental and physical health have found that people who are married or in healthy relationships live longer than single people. Getting married is a good way to live longer, at least that’s what research says.
Having a family and living with a partner gives people something to live for, compared to their single counterparts who have been used to living a self-centered life. Researchers have also found that men in particular benefit from marriage when it comes to longevity.
They are less likely to commit suicide than singles, go to the doctor sooner, get their check-ups more often, stop drinking alcohol and take their medication because their wives remind them. Research also shows that married people recover from surgery much faster than singles because they have someone to care for them.
2. You can sleep better
Whether you have a snoring partner or not; According to research, a relationship can help you sleep better. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh discovered that people who sleep next to their partner have lower cortisol levels, which helps them sleep better.
Another study found that women in long-term relationships sleep more soundly and fall asleep faster. 7 Even if your partner tosses and turns in bed all night, you’ll probably still get a good night’s sleep.
3. You have a lower risk of a heart attack
Studies have shown that long-term relationships, especially marriages, have a positive impact on the heart. For example, a Finnish study from 2013 shows that single people are twice as likely to die from a heart attack. Perhaps that is why love is depicted with a heart.
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4. You have less stress and less chance of depression
Although relationships are characterized by ups and downs, they have a positive effect on mental health in the long term, especially in women. A 2010 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University found that single people have more psychological stress and depression than people in relationships. Apparently this has to do with cortisol production, also known as the stress hormone. Single people have more of this hormone, which causes more stress, which ultimately leads to more depression.
6. You are happier as a man when you get married
Studies have shown that men experience greater happiness when they are in a marriage. Marriage is becoming less common, but it does have advantages for men. According to a study conducted by Michigan State University among 1,366 men, men are happier when they are married, compared to when they were single.
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5. You heal faster
Whether you are in a relationship or not; Everyone gets a wound sometimes. You cut your finger while preparing your food or you hit your thumb with a hammer. Research shows that these wounds heal faster in people in a happy relationship than in singles. For example, one study found that a small blister healed faster in married people than in single people. You can thank the hormone oxytocin for this, the researchers claim, because it has a positive effect on healing.
7. You have more feel-good hormones
Sex isn’t the only benefit of a relationship that can reduce stress and improve health. In a 2004 study of 38 couples, researchers from the University of North Carolina found that both men and women had higher blood levels of the hormone oxytocin.
The so-called ‘cuddle hormone’ relieves stress and improves mood when people touch each other, such as hugging. The women in this study also had lower blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after physical contact.
8. You can relieve physical pain with love
It is sometimes said that ‘love hurts’ but studies show the opposite. Love can ease the physical pain you feel. Did you hurt yourself by stubbing your little toe on the table? It helps if you look at your partner, according to research. 11
The reward system in your brain that is responsible for feelings of love reduces the pain you feel. For example, a 2010 study showed that when students place their hand on a heat pad, they can withstand the heat longer when looking at a photo of their partner.
9. You find yourself healthier as you get older
A long-term love relationship can make you live longer, but you can also live healthier for all these years.
Research from the University of Missouri shows that people in happy marriages rate their health as better than single people or people in unhappy relationships . This applies not only to the younger years but even later in life . If you want to grow old healthily, it helps to have someone to do that with.
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