 Let’s face it, everyone has seen one of their good friends go from a normal functioning human being to an irrational, gooey, love struck fool. From the outside it seems like they are constantly high on some ‘unknown substance’, but on the inside, when you’re in love … it’s simply the most splendid feeling available!
Here are some of the real health benefits found by Rachel Day in her research on love:
Love makes you smarter
Falling in love induces a calming effect on the body and mind by raising levels of nerve growth for about a year. This hormone-like substance helps to restore the nervous system and improves memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells.
(Sify News 2007)
Love helps fight cancer
A new study from the University of Iowa found that ovarian cancer patients with a strong sense of connection to others and satisfying relationships had more vigorous "natural killer" cell activity at the site of their tumours than those who didn't have those social ties. (These desirable white blood cells kill cancerous cells as part of the body's immune system.)
(Dr Vermon Coleman, author and GP)
Love benefits your immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems
We may also pay a price if we don't give love. Research shows that loving acts neutralise the kind of negative emotions that adversely affect immune, endocrine and cardiovascular function.
(Stephen Post Ph.D professor of bioethics and religion at Ohio's Case Western University)
Love is good for your heart
The brain becomes "fired up" when talking to someone it finds attractive and sends impulses to the heart making it pound three times faster than normal. This results in increased blood supply to the body, specifically the cheeks and sexual organs, which gives us the feeling of butterflies in the stomach.
(Dr John Marsden PhD. chartered psychologist and senior lecturer at London's Institute of Psychiatry)
Love makes you live longer
Studies have indicated that a lack of love causing social isolation increases the risk of early death by up to five times. Feeling connected is essential to good health.
(Dean Ornish MD, author of Love and Survival: 8 Pathways to Intimacy and Health)
Love can lower your cholesterol
Research has shown that expressing your feelings of affection can reduce cholesterol levels. A study in Human Communication Research found that people who wrote about their feelings of affection for significant friends, relatives, and/or romantic partners had significantly lower cholesterol levels than those that didn't.
 Love is the elixir of youth
The endorphins produced by the body when in love increase blood flow to the skin, which helps keep it soft and smooth, and reduce the development of wrinkles. The increased supply of essential food and oxygen to skin cells when in love also give the face a pinker, healthier glow.
(Dr Vermon Coleman, author and GP)
Considering Valentines day is now over, perhaps we don’t have to let go of the romance and love so fast after all! So who’s the lucky person in your life that could be shown a little more love? Who should you tell today that you really do value their friendship and care about them? What small step can you take right now to increase the level of love in your life?
Have a wonderful week, and keep chasing the love … it’s well worth it!
If you’re interested in a complimentary life coaching session to perhaps explore the options, please phone Jodie on 0409 224 303. | 
