Cwynar Article Archives

February 2012 | Article Archives

 

The power of love can help your health

When you are with the one you love the lightness you feel in your heart may just be your blood pressure dropping. A new study reports that when people are with their spouse or partner, their blood pressure lowered slightly. It doesn’t matter if the relationship is a loving or positive one, either. Even if the relationship isn’t a particularly happy one, blood pressure still dropped a bit. Why?

The study looked at 120 participants who wore blood pressure monitors over a six-day period. For the most part, systolic blood pressure drops by an average of one point when we’re with someone we love. The fact that blood pressure lowered even with participants who weren't in happy relationships suggests that part of the reason for the drop was the fact that the relationship was familiar and that participants were in predictable situations

Another report, from the Washington, D.C.-based National Institute of Medicine, took a look at the relationship between health and behavior and found that intimate relationships tended to add years to one's life. In fact, studies in the United States, Scandinavia and Japan have consistently shown that people who are isolated or disconnected from others are at an increased risk of dying prematurely. The report looked at previous studies and their findings and described interventions that could maintain or improve health.

There is a need for examining social relationships in early and later life and the importance of deep, meaningful, loving human connections and how intimate relationships or their lack thereof affect health.

Knowing how your emotions affect your heart will allow you to make conscious decisions on how you react to situations in your life. There is a clear connection between negative emotions and attitudes that contribute to damage to the heart. Since this connection is known, you should learn ways to change your behavior in order to lead a more productive, happier lifestyle.

I have spent my career studying the effects of metabolism and hormones on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of people. I have come to know that the key to a long, healthy life is linked to having a good attitude, and to having love in your life. It can relieve stress, help fight fatigue and make you feel better. While I can’t prescribe love to help you with your fatigue or hormonal issues, I can encourage you to live your life well. Let it be full, and full of people who bring you joy. It’s amazing how much it can help.