Mahatama Gandhi said, and I quote, “Where there is love, there is life.” Love and health are interconnected in surprising ways. Humans are wired for bonds, and when we nourish good relationships, we receive immense awards. See. We cannot affirm that being in a madly passionate relationship can benefit your health, but the positive effects of love are far more than the negative ones.

This article will help you know some surprising medical benefits of being in love and how this feeling can help you become better physically and psychologically.

Love manages blood pressure.

In several studies, researchers have found that people in love have better health and lower blood pressure levels. Research conducted on married couples and singles concludes that people in a closely-bonded marriage had lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure than singles.

The most exciting fact is lower blood pressure levels in happily married couples and singles than in unhappy or bad marriages. So, either you stay single or live a happily married life to maintain blood pressure and stay healthy.

Love lowers the anxiety level.

Individuals in long-term stable relationships and people who are madly in love both have similar intensity in love, according to research conducted by the use of functional MRI (fMRI) to analyze the brains of individuals in love.

However, there is a notable difference between new couples (with more intensity and madness in love) and long-term couples (in a relationship for at least ten years). Love reduces anxiety in individuals with long-term romantic relationships.

Love gives warmth

You do not need to think of love as a hot wind blower, nor are we asking you to believe that love is a cure to the common cold. However, researchers say that falling in love can boost your immunity that helps fight viral infections such as cold and flu.

This study conducted genetic profiling in 47 women and, as a result, found that women in love have more chances of gene regulation in the immune cells. The findings are consistent when it comes to innate immune responses to viral infections.

Love promotes self-worth

We all should find our worth outside a relationship and bond with others. But, being loved and living in a healthy relationship adds more to the sense of self-worth. When you know that someone loves you, you feel that you matter and value. The feeling that someone would be unable to stay happy or feel devastated if you were gone makes you think necessary.

In the depths of mental health conditions, individuals may fail to see their value, especially if they are dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts. In these moments of weakness, having someone to love you may become the lifeline you need the most.

Love heals pain

You might be wondering about whether “love heals” or “love hurts.” Even we do not have an answer to it, but we may say that overall, being in love lessens the feelings of pain. It depends upon the type of love you are in; say you are in a toxic relationship, here we cannot say that love will lessen your pain.

In a research, scientists used the fMRI method to monitor individuals in love. In the experiment, participants who were put under moderate and high thermal pain were shown images of their partner on one side and a picture of an equally attractive and familiar acquaintance on the other side. Additionally, researchers gave a word-association distraction task for pain reduction to them.

Out of the three pain solutions, the picture of the participants’ partner with which they were romantically involved reduced the pain. The researchers concluded that this more significant analgesia was linked to increased activity in various reward-processing regions not associated with distraction-induced analgesia.

Love improves health and lengthens life.

Couples in happy and stable relationships are more likely to live healthier and longer life. This criterion is more applicable to couples who describe their relationship or marriage as delighted. Happily married couples have 20% lower chances of dying early than people with not too happy or bad marriages. (The study was conducted on 1900 married couples in the United States).

The reason for greater longevity includes both material and emotional causes. Practically, being part of a supportive relationship means taking care of each other. He will go to the pharmacy for medications, and she will remind him to exercise.

On the emotional ground, support from your loved ones and social engagement with them helps increase longevity. And, the health benefits are not only for happily married people or long-term couples; individuals with strong social bonds also get the health benefits from their loved ones. Love increases the likelihood of survival up to 50 percent in people with a good relationship with their family or friends.

Love save from substance use.

You might have heard people in your circle leaving smoking or drinking because their partners do not want them to take any such substance. According to the Health and Human Services (HSS) report, getting married and living an everyday married life reduces depression (a responsible factor for substance use disorder) in both men and women.

A happy marriage also reduces heavy drinking, substance abuse, or drug misuse, especially among young adults. Those who do not care about anything, including their health, become improved people for the sake of love.

Love helps you sleep better.

Since relationships with love lead to less stress, the romantically involved individual is more likely to sleep better and feel refreshed after waking up in the morning. Tensions are reduced when you feel the love and support from your partner. And, several surveys conclude that happily married couples are 10 percent more likely to get a more restful sleep.

Better Stress Management and Mental Health

Stress management is also possible if love can help people cope with pain. Evidence shows a link between social/ emotional support and stress management. You can cope with any stressful situation better if you have got the support of your loved ones.

For example, if you lose your job, your partner is more likely to support you emotionally and financially, even if everyone else leaves you.

Role of love in mental health treatment

If you have any mental illness, it impacts nearly everyone close to you. Mental health conditions affect your relationships and vice versa. There are several cases on how the partner or spouse of an individual with mental illness supports them and involves themselves in the treatment procedure.

Good through treatment with the support of loved ones can fasten the impact and give positive results soon. Moreover, when your partner takes part in the treatment procedure, it strengthens your relationship and mental health.

Takeaway

The best part of love is giving the feeling of being accompanied even during phases of loneliness. You may get love from a friend, spouse, or even a pet. On this valentine’s day, holding hands and gazing into your sweetheart’s eyes while imagining a long life together may boost your energy to do better in life.

Suppose you are looking forward to a healthier life and attaining a healthy relationship’s mental, physical, and emotional benefits. In that case, it is crucial to cultivate those relationships that make you feel secure and supported. So, what are you waiting for? Look around, love is everywhere.