Benefits of that wonderful, incontrollable feeling called Love!

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we thought we would brighten your day with a few blog posts on love! Enjoy!

Love is certainly a gratifying feeling, but love is also a basic need, according to Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist and philosopher best known for his self-actualization theory of psychology. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes Love and Belonging, which includes both romantic relationships as well as close ties to family and friends. Recent studies have shown that having these close, loving relationship, improve you health, physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. Here are some of the benefits of love.

HEALTHIER HEART

Marriage dramatically lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attacks in both men and women of all ages. Compared to their partnered peers, single folks face a 58-66% greater risk of cardiac events. Expressing your feelings to your partner can minimize cholesterol levels. As a result, lower cholesterol levels means there are reduced chances of heart diseases and other cardiovascular ailments.

The only drawback of falling in love is that when you have deep feelings for someone and for some unexpected reason you decide to separate, then there is generally a feeling of disappointment and it may take you some time to recover emotionally.

FEWER STROKES

For men, a happy marriage is a buffer against stroke. An Israeli study shows that single guys face a 64% greater risk of fatal stroke than married males do—but only if the unions are sound and supportive.

REDUCES STRESS

A strong partnership can put the kibosh on cortisol, the body’s stress hormone. In an experiment at the University of Chicago, strongly connected people handled stress better than their single peers did. When couples share an intimate relationship, the body releases a hormone known as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) that acts as a stress reliever. A romantic relationship reduces negative energy, produces a feeling of well -being and relieves tension.

BETTER AGING

Want to stay healthy as you get older? Try improving your love life. In a 2013 study, happily married participants reported better health as they aged compared to their peers in less robust unions.

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

Another study shows that the blissfully hitched have lower blood pressure than their single counterparts—even those with strong social networks. But unhappily married folks fare the worst of all.

LONGER LIFE

It’s a fact: Married people live longer than their unwedded counterparts. According to the National Health Interview Survey, singletons face a 58% higher risk of mortality in any given year.

FEWER COLDS

Carnegie Mellon researchers have proven that happy, calm people fend off colds and flus more readily than anxious or depressed ones. The takeaway? Positive relationships can help protect against the crud.

IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH

The relaxing effect of DHEA over body and mind raises the development of nerves. It also helps improve function of the nerves which improves memory recall.

FASTER HEALING

When scientists inflicted small blister wounds on couples, the injuries healed almost twice as quickly when the partners interacted with warmth. Arguments and hostility caused a full day’s delay in healing.

MORE CALM

MRI brain scans reveal the rewards of love. The gray matter that governs anxiety is calmer when you’re in a long-term love match. The lively part of a lovebird’s brain? It’s the region that regulates bonding.

LESS PAIN

Love doesn’t hurt after all. Scientists have proven that people consumed with love just don’t have time for the pain. When focused on an image of their beloved, their brains manage discomfort better. A study of 100, 000 adults established that married couples were less vulnerable to back pain and headaches. Minimizing stress levels is also beneficial with regards to pain relief, especially if you suffer form disorders like chronic headaches.

ANTI-CANCER EFFECT

Couples have lower rates of cancer and other diseases as compared to those who remain single. A study conducted at University of Iowa indicates that women who had ovarian cancer and were in satisfying relationships develop more blood cells which help in destroying cancerous cells.

HAPPIER LIFE

Matrimony also buffers against being bummed out—in both the short-term and the long. Researchers have documented a happiness dividend in the year after marriage, and it persists over the years.

ENJOYING YOUR FREEDOM, SINGLE AND ON YOUR OWN

If you are single/divorce/widowed, do not worry! Scientists have also shown that a strong network of friends, family, neighbors, pets, and other important connections boost the odds of a long, healthy life. Love does not just include a significant other or spouse, love includes everyone in your life. Share our love, show your love, and embrace those that love you!