7 Benefits Of Having Friends, According To Science
Friends are one of the great supports of our life. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have them knows. Being able to count on someone who loves you and for that person to count on you alleviates problems and gives emotion and intensity to life itself. But not only that. Science has shown that it has other important benefits as well.
Good friends don’t have to be perfect, nor do they have to be ready to attend to all your needs. It is enough that they accept you, that they are interested in what is happening to you and that they are willing to listen to you. Friendship is a simple and profound gift at the same time.
Various studies have proven that having good friends improves our overall health. Both on the physical plane and on the mental plane. In order for you to know these contributions in greater detail, we will immediately tell you about 7 benefits that we enjoy by being able to count on them.
1. Friends help reduce stress
Stress has many origins. However, one of its most frequent causes is the difficulty to adequately cope with daily stresses. It occurs when there is a tension between reality, as it is, and the resources we have to accept and adapt to it.
Well, friends help us reduce that tension. The mere fact of having a disinterested communication space reduces stress. The feeling of support that friends provide reduces the anguish. That is why they help us to control stress and, with it, many of its consequences.
2. Contribute to improving overall health
According to research published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , those with good friends are in better health. This is not surprising when we consider that friendship increases the quality of life.
When you have someone who sincerely cares about you, you increase the level of self-care. On the contrary, the feeling of loneliness often leads to abandonment. If you feel like no one cares about you, it will be more difficult for you to take care of yourself. And this ends up affecting your health.
3. Who has friends, feels less pain
The publication Psychosomatic Medicine showed a study on the relationship between physical pain and affection. It was found that those who have affectionate people around them perceive pain less intensely.
The same is true in the opposite case. People who are more isolated tend to experience physical pain in a more severe way. Remember that all physical pain brings with it emotional suffering. But those who have friends also have a better emotional disposition. And this reduces the physical pain.
4. The heart grows stronger
A study carried out at Duke University (United States) presented evidence that those who have strong ties of friendship with other people enjoy better cardiovascular health. In fact, in this research friendship is compared to physical exercise. Both factors have positive effects on the heart.
To carry out this study, they took as a basis a group of 1,000 people. They all had cardiovascular disease. After five years, half of those who had no friends had died. And 85% of those with friends had improved.
5. They help us to prolong life
In 2010, a group of researchers from the United Kingdom compiled 148 studies on the relationship between emotional ties and mortality. They wanted to determine how consistent the different investigations on the matter were. In total, their analysis included 300,000 people.
The results were overwhelming. In all the studies carried out up to that point, there was a clear relationship between loneliness and death. It was clear that those with friends lived longer. Friendship has indisputable effects in this regard.
6. They help prevent obesity
Incredibly, science has yet to fully explain obesity. Although genetic, metabolic and psychological factors are known to be involved, the definitive causes for some cases have not yet been established. In fact, some theories hold that weight gain is a form of defense. It increases when a person feels vulnerable.
Research published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine attempts to clarify this point. It indicates that friendship is a very high emotional compensation factor. In fact, as much as the food. Those who have friends tend not to binge eat.
7. Help increase mental acuity
Human interaction is a factor that stimulates the brain. The mere fact of holding a conversation or thinking about a reality other than one’s own boosts brain activity. On the other hand, those who remain isolated tend to lose cognitive abilities.
In the case of people with a mental illness this is more critical. In fact, one of the triggers for it is precisely isolation, and one of the factors that contributes the most to healing is friendship.
To have a friend is to have a treasure, do not hesitate. More than “making” friends, our main task is to learn to be good friends with others. The rest will come in addition. The benefits are immense, as we have seen. But beyond that, friends bring an additional dose of tenderness to your life, being the best antidote to bitterness.
