Home
/
Blog Articles
/
6 reasons why being in love is good for your health

6 reasons why being in love is good for your health

Ketan Patel NowPatientGreen tick
Medically reviewed by Ketan Patel, MPharm and written by Rajive Patel, BPharm - Updated on 25 Mar 2024
Share this post
Table of contents
Overview1. Good for your heart2. Less stress3. Lowers anxiety4. Mental health5. Reduces blood pressure6. Reduces signs of ageing

The benefits of love aren’t all in your head. Being in love, healthy relationships and long-term relationships all come with some solid health benefits. Let us take a look at 6 reasons why being in love is good for your health.

1. Good for your heart

Just looking at your romantic partner can increase your heart rate and make your heart race three times faster than normal, resulting in an increased blood supply to the body and a workout for your heart. What better way to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

People feeling love are more relaxed and more likely to engage in exercise or other activities beneficial to the heart. Men and women who exercise with a romantic partner are more likely to exercise harder and more often than those who go it alone. It’s thought half of those people who do exercise on their own will quit after one year, but two-thirds of those who train with a loved one will keep it up.

2. Less stress

When you first fall in love, dopamine, a feel-good chemical, is especially active in your brain. Your dopamine levels may even remain high as your love matures, but your cortisol and serotonin levels will probably return to normal.

After the honeymoon period and when we feel more secure, we will start to feel stress levels go down. This is partly due to oxytocin, another brain chemical that gives you “warm and fuzzy” feelings for your partner and is also good for your health. Being in the presence of someone who greets us with positive regard and care can lower those levels of cortisol (primary stress hormone) and adrenaline and balance your neurochemicals.

3. Lowers anxiety

Being in a loving happy relationship and feeling close to another person can lessen anxiety. Oxytocin is dubbed the ‘love hormone’ and neuroscience shows that it reduces anxiety and can lower blood pressure. Research shows that oxytocin increases considerably after the first year of being in love!

4. Mental health

According to the Health and Human Services report, married people and staying married reduces depression in both men and women and social isolation is clearly linked to higher rates of depression. Marriage also contributes to a reduction in heavy drinking and drug abuse, especially among young adults.

Besides the physical health benefits, being in love works wonders for your mental health, emotional support and self-esteem. Being a happily married couple, in a loving relationship, will improve overall health, and well-being, reduce stress and also strengthen your immune system.

5. Reduces blood pressure

Studies have found that hugging and holding hands releases a hormone that helps to lower stress, decrease your blood pressure, and improve both your mood and tolerance for pain.

The safe and secure feeling of a positive relationship helps to calm anxiety and keeps your blood pressure in check. Sudden negative emotions can lead to feelings that mimic a heart attack, also known as “broken heart syndrome. It stands to reason that the opposite is true too.

6. Reduces signs of ageing

The endorphins released by being in love increase blood flow to the skin, keeping it soft and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Also because stress levels are lower, there is less cortisol in the body – high levels of cortisol cause stress-related acne, pimples, and breakouts.

The support of a good friend can give you a much-needed boost when exercising, trying to eat right and staying on track for a healthy lifestyle. New romantic relationships are a boon to weight loss and good health since we want to look and act our very best for that special someone. There’s nothing quite like a flurry of compliments to motivate us to maintain our physical appearance.

Sources

What is NowPatient

Telehealth and Online Pharmacy

NowPatient is a licensed online pharmacy and doctor service that is available around the world. Our service is FREE and packed with valuable features that can benefit your health such as medication reminders, educational blogs, medically approved symptoms checker, UK NHS online pharmacyprivate treatment plansRx Advantage cardhealth conditions information, affordable medications options, genetic testinghome test kitshealth riskspollen meterair quality monitor, weight loss plans, drug savings checker and lots more!

See how we are different
Laptop showing nowpatients app dashboard

WHY WE BUILT NOWPATIENT

To improve the lives of everyone by making high-quality care accessible and convenient

We are here to improve lives. Our service gives you access to smart features and resources that can help empower you to take control of your health and improve your health outcomes. All this, in one place, for FREE. We strive to bring a fresh perspective to managing health. NowPatient can be accessed by downloading the App or using your web browser.

Download our app today

A man and woman in a video call on an iphone.

Can I trust NowPatient

Meet our medical review team

Trustworthy and reliable medical content authored and reviewed by our experienced team of medical professionals from the United Kingdom and the United States. Learn more about our team and our editorial process by clicking on the buttons below.

 

Medical Review Team Avatars

Your Questions Answered

For your peace of mind, we can answer your questions quickly

We have a comprehensive list of FAQ’s on each feature page. Alternatively, for broader questions around our service just click the button below.
Find your answers