Three Proven Health Benefits of Friendships (Backed by Science)

Human connection is integral to your well-being and when you’re in a healthy relationship with family, friends, or acquaintances, there are very real health benefits you can experience for yourself.  We know that when you love more (one of our 8 Pillars), you live a more nutritious life so here are three science-based facts about the health benefits of friendships that you don’t want to miss. 1. Friendships Can Boost Immunity & Lifespan According to a study from the American Psychological Association (APA), strong support from your social connections may protect you from illnesses caused by stress. How is this possible? Activities that strengthen close connections — like fun or meaningful chit-chats, laughing, kissing, hugging, and bonding with friends — releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These hormones positively impact your mind, mood, and body. They also improve immune function as they lower cortisol levels (AKA stress-induced hormones). Maintaining healthy friendships is beneficial for your health in long-term ways, too. As you find peace, calm, and genuine happiness with friends, the release of the feel-good hormones mentioned above decrease inflammation. This leads to lower risks of illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, gut-health problems, cancer, and depression. According to Harvard Health Publishing, one study shows an increase in mortality risk for people who do not have strong relationships leading to premature deaths from all causes by 50%. TLDR: Having friends may actually tack more years onto your life! 2. Friendships Enrich Your Emotional Well-Being Having friends or *friends* (if you catch our drift) to offer you a safe space for raw conversation or a shoulder to cry on is an essential resource when dealing with life’s many challenges. This emotional support fosters trust and a sense of belongingness between friends.  The desire to feel accepted and valued is innate, rooting from the time of conception between mother and child. Longing for attention and attachment with another human being goes on across the lifespan giving a sense of purpose and a more positive outlook about life and relationships according to Psychology Today. So keep in mind that creating time to be with a girlfriend or maybe sending a quick text message to check in can play a massive role in building a supportive relationship.  And guess what? It’s a two-way street! A recent study shows that your availability to listen and provide support to a friend can boost your health. Talk about a mutual benefit! RELATED: 5 Ways To Build Stronger Friendships 3. Strong Friendships Can Improve Your Self-Esteem The Cambridge Dictionary defines self-esteem as “belief and confidence in your own ability and value.” It is your perception of yourself — whether it be negative or positive. How does friendship influence the way you view yourself? In a meta-analysis published by the APA, researchers explored how positive relationships boost self-esteem. They found that strong and healthy social relationships mold the development of self-esteem in people ages 4-76. On the other hand, poor relationships can negatively reinforce your self-esteem. An unhealthy  self-perception can accumulate from childhood and may continue through adulthood. The good news? You can always start building stronger friendships — a relationship that will help you develop self-love and empathy for yourself and others.     And if you ever find yourself thinking of that one friend who naturally brings out the best in you, that friend who nourishes your soul, then that means you found the one. He or she’s a keeper! The healthy choices you make daily, and the small habits you form are just as crucial as choosing friends and people you let into your life. Evaluate and look at them closely—do they make you feel good or stressed out? That should give you a hint. Remember, healthy relationships are one of the keys to living a Nutritious Life.  Read this and plan ahead with your besties this coming World Friendship Day: Celebrate International Friendship Day the Nutritious Life Way  For more tips on how to build happy and strong relationships plus a fulfilling sex life (yes, please!), check out our LOVE MORE top stories here. (Image: Shutterstock)

Pucker Up! Kissing Is Great For Your Health

Pucker up! If it’s been a minute since you’ve engaged in a saucy smooch session, may we suggest you dim the lights and get to work? Not just because it’s fun (and it so is), but because kissing is great for your health. Wait, kissing is healthy? (Yep, it is.) The health benefits of kissing are surprisingly vast. They range from immediate hormone releases to preventing cavities over time (really!). Dive into the many reasons kissing is good for you below and share this article with your friends. No one should be left out of this fun. Kissing Partner Perks When you and your partner engage in a lip-lock, both of your bodies jump into health-boosting action without you having to do a single thing other than enjoy yourselves. Help Out Your Hormones Kissing releases our favorite feel-good hormone, oxytocin, which can lower anxiety, increase feelings of trust between partners, and help us feel relaxed. Kissing also triggers the release of endorphins, which may lessen stress and depression and increase positive feelings. Together, oxytocin and endorphins also stimulate a metabolic process that may reduce calorie intake, tamper down hunger pangs, and slow the digestion of fat. All vital components to living a nutritious life. RELATED: Are These Psychological Barriers Messing With Your Weight Loss?  Spark Some Sexy-Times Not surprisingly, a passionate kiss can get you and your partner in the mood for something more, if you catch our drift. As you kiss, testosterone is released, and this can have a big impact on your sex drive. Kissing also decreases levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which can definitely help get you in the mood. And since getting horizontal burns calories, this is just another health benefit of locking lips. Personal Health Benefits of Kissing Smooching not only delivers partner-centric health benefits, it packs a healthy punch for you as an individual too. Get Mouthy When you kiss, you produce more saliva. Adequate saliva production is important for everything from tasting, chewing, and swallowing, to washing away oral germs and keeping bad breath at bay. Since tasting and fully enjoying your meals (AKA mindful eating) is a huge contributor to building a great relationship with food, you’re getting a double whammy of awesome when you share a kiss before eating. Extra bonus: When you swap spit, you’re exposed to your partner’s mouth microbiota, which can help boost your immunity over time. Jump Start Your Heart Kissing of all types (but espesh the super-heated kind), increases your heart rate, which causes your blood vessels to dilate. The dilated vessels increase your blood flow, which then decreases your blood pressure. Aren’t our bodies amazing? Since a healthy blood pressure is part of living a nutritious life, we say let that heart of yours get a workout—both from the metaphorical “flutters” and from its actual pumped-up pumping. RELATED: 6 Cardiologist-Recommended Ways to Strengthen Our Heart Health Kissing is part of a healthy lifestyle and can leave you feeling connected, self-assured, and even a little bit healthier. Pucker up … and enjoy! For more tips on how to have happy relationships and a fulfilling sex life—all part of the Love More pillar of living a Nutritious Life—check out our top stories. (Image: Shutterstock)