What love does for your health
We're not encouraging loving behaviour simply because today's Valentine's Day. Rather, research has increasingly shown that the fuzzy feeling you get from love has an impact on your health.
Too much of a love cynic to believe that? Well, just consider this study by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hugs for better health
The 2005 study, published in Pub Med, reported that women who hugged their partner more frequently had higher levels of oxytocin, commonly known as the cuddle hormone. The study also found that the frequent huggers had lower blood pressure.
According to Dr Yeo Seem Huat, consulting psychiatrist at Sincere Medical Specialist Center for Women, oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that also acts like a neurotransmitter in the brain.
It has been shown to be involved in important social behaviours and relationships.
"An important notion that we can glean from the finding is that positive social behaviour is linked to better health outcomes. More recent studies also found that oxytocin actually modulates the body's response to stress," said Dr Yeo.
The same researchers from North Carolina who have been studying for years how close physical contact affects oxytocin levels in the body, also found that the same principle works on mothers and their babies.
Mothers who cuddle their babies more have higher levels of the hormone, and vice versa. In fact, Dr Yeo added that maternal neglect is linked to long term detrimental effect on a child's development, and oxytocin may be able to modulate that.
Live longer
Obviously this might not apply if your spouse's obnoxious habits cause you to frequently hit the roof. However, a study from the University of Pittsburgh, which tracked more than 1 million women for more than 20 years, found that those in good marriages lived longer, had fewer heart attacks and cancer rates.
An important reason for the positive association between marriage and longer life is the presence of social support, which buffers against many psychological disorders, said Dr Yeo.
Dr Kelvin Lee, consultant psychologist from Centre for Effective Living, said individuals in a happy loving relationship generally experience emotional contentment.
"It is also believed that a healthy mind brings about a healthy body if one also looks after themselves physically through regular exercises and good nutrition," said Dr Lee.
On the other hand, Dr Yeo added that toxic relationships induce stress, which in turn leads to behavioural, psychological and physical issues. Marital strain has been associated with compromised immune function and depression, he noted.
Keeps your brain nimble
It is said that no man is an island. Regular social interaction such as hanging out with friends, being part of a social club or doing volunteer work helps ward off mental decline, several studies have found.
In a 2009 Swedish study on midlife individuals, those who are married or cohabiting with a partner are linked to a lower risk for cognitive impairment (poor memory and mental functioning) during old age.
Making love
A healthy sex life with a loved one does the body good in a number of ways. One health benefit is lower blood pressure and stress levels, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology.
Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that frequent ejaculations, more than 21 times per month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men.
"In the older men it is thought that increase sexual activity flushes possible toxins out of the prostate," said Dr Sam Peh, a urologist from PanAsia Surgery in Parkway East Hospital. However, he added that there is too little research in this area and results are still "inconclusive".
This article was featured in Today February 14, 2012.
http://www.todayonline.com/Health/EDC120214-0000017/The-love-benefit
