10 Surprising Health Benefits of Love
“I need somebody to love,” sang the Beatles, and they got it right. Love and health are intertwined in surprising ways. Humans are wired for connection, and the rewards are immense when we cultivate good relationships. But we’re not necessarily talking about spine-tingling romance. “There’s no evidence that the intense, passionate stage of a new romance is beneficial to health,” says Harry Reis, Ph.D., co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. "People who fall in love say it feels wonderful and agonizing at the same time.” All those ups and downs can be a source of stress. It takes a calmer, more stable form of love to yield clear health benefits. “There is very nice evidence that people who participate in satisfying, long-term relationships fare better on a whole variety of health measures,” Reis tells WebMD. Most of the research in this area centers on marriage, but Reis believes many of the perks extend to other close relationships -- for example, with a partner, p