Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to show significant others how much we love them, is only a few days away. I am very blessed in my relationship with my wife. We have been together for over 15 years, yet it seems like we met only yesterday. We have been fortunate to maintain good health over the years, partly because of our love for one another. Love is a powerful emotion because it can affect our health both physically and emotionally.
Here are 6 ways love can improve your health:
- Produces Positive Emotions – expressing love, emotionally and/or physically, increases your positive moods. Positive moods help fight stress and improve your immune system.
- Lets You Live Longer – research studies have shown that couples with strong emotional ties live longer. Strong family connections can also improve life expectancy.
- Lowers Blood Pressure – research shows that happily married couples have the best blood pressure. Singles had the next best blood pressure scores, followed by unhappily married couples. Keeping positive emotions in a marriage and/or family will have huge benefits to your health.
- Fights Diseases – researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that people who exhibit positive emotions are less likely to get sick after exposure to cold or flu viruses.
- Promotes Faster Healing – a study by Ohio State University showed that couples who embraced in more loving interactions had wounds that healed nearly twice as fast. The feeling of love causes an increase in blood flow throughout the entire body, which could explain why the wounds healed faster.
- Lessens Anxiety – a stable, loving relationship is more important than a passionate relationship when it comes to anxiety. The stable relationship activates parts of the brain associated with bonding, and less of these bonding connections lead to greater anxiety.
I think the Beatles knew what they were doing when they sang, “All you need is love”. I wish you all the best, and Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Dr Spencer Charlet
Mooresville Chiropractor
704-663-7625
