I Need Somebody To Love

When many students come to college, they are filled with the ideals that they will find their perfect match. It seems that everyone here is looking for some sort of love, and people always seem happier when they have found it. However is it possible that there are actually physical benefits to being in love? According to recent studies, the answer would be yes.

It should come as no surprise that people who experience love feel better. Anyone who has ever been in any sort of relationship has experienced what I am talking about. However there is now physical evidence that proves the health benefits that people have known for years. In a study published in 2003 a group of researchers tested whether or not “warm partner contact” impacted stress. Null Hypothesis: The act of warm partner contact will have no effect on the levels of stress of the subjects. Alternative Hypothesis: The act of warm partner contact will have a positive effect on the levels of stress of the subjects. The experiment was blocked based on gender (74 women and 109 men) as well as ethnicity (66 African American and 117 caucasian). This division was crucial in order to account for possible 3rd variables in the test results, such as if men respond differently to women. Before having blood pressure and heart rate recorded while public speaking. “In response to a public speaking task, individuals receiving prestress partner contact demonstrated lower systolic BP diastolic BP, and heart rate increases compared with the no contact group.” In the conclusion of the test, the researchers concluded that in both male and female subjects, there was a reduction of stress in the warm partner contact group compared to the control group. In addition the level of stress reduction was actually higher in African Americans than it was in Caucasians.

It turns out that being in love can do more than help you prevent diseases too, it can also help you heal injuries as well. According to a study done at The Ohio State University in 2005, couples who argue less and love more tend to have injuries heal quicker. The experiment was conducted by having 42 married couples discuss a “supportive topic” such as how the other could change for the better on their first visit. On the second visit the couple was forced to discuss an emotionally charged topic, which could be considered as hostile. The subjects then had their blood tested and their wounds reviewed by a doctor to evaluate their progress. The mechanism behind their conclusion came from the idea that a lower stress level leads to a shorter recovery time, and a higher stress level leads to a longer recovery time.

In conclusion it appears that there is a mountain of evidence to back up the fact that love can help you live longer. Not only can a warm loving touch reduce stress levels, and subsequently reduce your risk of heart problems; but it can also help someone recover from injuries. If I had the opportunity to perform my own study on the topic, I would choose to map out the health of 1000 randomly selected individuals over the course of 20-30 years. I would be testing the hypothesis that in the long run, a love filled life will lead to a longer one. If a study like this were to be completed, then we would have even more concrete proof that love really can make you live longer.