While being in a relationship is not always very easy, it’s definitely a feeling worth experiencing, because love has a lot to offer. Being in love has the same effect on our bodies as being on drugs. Now it makes sense why we lose our heads when we love someone.
But what would our lives be without love? Perhaps we wouldn’t know how it feels to have our hearts broken, but we also wouldn’t know what true happiness really is. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence. Love can be stressful and give you anxiety, but at the same time, it can heal you, give your life purpose and lengthen your lifespan.
Read on to find 30 fascinating facts about love that will make you feel grateful for having the chance to experience such feelings!
Love feels like being on drugs
According to a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, we experience the same feeling when we fall in love as addicts have when administrating a drug. Both love and drugs contribute to the release of happy hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline making you feel very euphoric, like having your head in the clouds.
Hugging someone you love acts as a stress reliever
Want a way to combat stress? Hug someone you love and you’ll instantly feel better. While some people might find this absurd, it’s actually scientifically proven that hugging someone you love acts as a stress reliever.
According to a study made by several psychiatrists at the University of North Carolina, hugging increases the levels of oxytocin in our bodies, which is the happy hormone linked to stress levels and a good mood.
Heart health and happiness go hand in hand
Being in a healthy and loving relationship is for both your mental and physical state. According to a study made on 3.5 million participants worldwide, married individuals were less likely to suffer from vascular diseases compared to divorcées and single people.
A happy heart is a healthy heart, that’s why it’s so important to prioritize your well-being.
Animals can be monogamous, too
Just like humans, animals also practice monogamous relationships. Of course, not all of them are monogamous, but some animals stay with their partner for life. How cute is that?
Animals like otters, beavers, wolves, barn owls, penguins, and swans are known to be monogamous and spend their whole lives with one partner.
Your heart synchronizes with the person you love
According to a study made by researchers at the University of California, Davis, couples’ heartbeats synchronize. So when you look at your partner and he gives you that loving look back, what you don’t know is that your hearts are beating at the same time.
Researchers found that study participants (32 couples) who looked at each other for three minutes had nearly identical heart rates and they assumed it was because of the emotional and physical bond they had with one another.
People get married because of love
The decision to get married and choose to spend your life with a certain person is always personal, but love is usually the most important factor. As data from a 2013 survey from the pew Research Center showed, nine in ten Americans get married because they love their partner and only one in ten Americans choose financial stability over love.
Love is addictive
According to Helen E. Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, romantic love is like an addiction, you just can’t escape it. The euphoric feeling love gives it is caused by the happy hormones released by the brain, which can, in some cases, make you addicted to love, or to the person, you’re in love with.
Addicted to love? Here are 12 signs you might have a love addiction!
Cuddling is good for your health
Besides being good for your mental state, cuddling is also good for your health. Every time you cuddle with your loved one, your brain releases oxytocin, the hormone linked to good mood and well-being.
Moreover, oxytocin is also known as the “cuddling hormone” and “love hormone” so now it makes sense why we feel so good when we cuddle the person we love.
Love eases chronic pain
By all means, love won’t ever replace modern medicine, but according to research, it can ease chronic pain for those who experience it. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine discovered that love gives our pain the same feeling as painkillers do, without adding the potentially harmful side effects meds usually have.
Being in a relationship contributes to your personality
Did you know that being in a relationship actually makes you who you are? It was scientifically proven that relationships contribute to your personality, so even the most pessimistic people can change if they’re in love.
A study published in the Journal of Personality that analyzed 245 young couples for a period of nine months found that being in a relationship contributes to making people feel more confident and optimistic. Researchers associated that to the positive emotions couples often experience together.
The secret of a healthy, long-lasting relationship is honesty
Telling the ugly truth is always better than coming up with a beautiful lie, especially in relationships. If you want to have a healthy, long-lasting relationship, you should know that honesty is the best approach.
According to a study published in the journal Personal Relationships, honest couples have more chances of getting old together. But happy couples still fight from time to time. Click here to see 10 normal fights even happy couples have.
Distance can be good in a relationship
While most people don’t believe in long-distance relationships, that doesn’t mean they can’t work. According to a study published in the Journal of Communication, long-distance relationships can be as successful as regular relationships.
Additionally, long-distance couples could trust each other even more and create an indestructible bond. So if someone tells you to stop talking to someone across the country, or even the world, show them these scientific facts!
Happy couples laugh together
Did you know that laughter makes a couple even stronger? If you want to connect more with your partner, watch a comedy together. As data from a study published the journal Personal Relationships shows, couples who laugh together were more supportive and understanding of each other.
Want to know if he’s the one? Click here for 10 surprising signs that indicate your partner is a keeper!
Being in love cures headache
Love kinda acts like medicine, and I’m amazed every day by its incredible power. It’s fascinating how loving someone can help you with several chronic pains.
As I said before, love won’t ever replace modern medicine, but it can help you ease the pain. A study concluded at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that 27 percent of participants who were given oxytocin nasal spray for treating headaches reported less pain in a few hours, and 50 percent of them reported no pain at all in the same amount of time.
Love can be found in the most unexpected places
People find love in the most unexpected places, so you never know where you will find the one. A recent survey made by HSBC on 5,000 travelers discovered that at least 50 of them reported that they found their partner while traveling by plane.
Men fall in love faster than women
While most people would assume that women fall in love first, a recent study published in The Journal of Social Psychology found that men are the ones who fall in love faster than their female counterparts.
Even though there isn’t a proper explanation for this, researchers assume it’s because women tend to overthink more than men and are also afraid to get their hearts broken.
Married couples save more money on trips to the doctor’s office
According to a Health and Human Services Department study, married couples reported fewer trips to the doctor’s office than single people and divorcées.
“The best logic for this is that human beings have been crafted by evolution to live in closely knit social groups,” Harry Reis, PhD, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, explained to WebMD. “When that is not happening, the biological systems get overwhelmed.”
Love helps you heal faster
While having a partner by your side makes everything much easier, love offers much more than just emotional support. According to a study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center on married couples, wounded individuals were proven to heal twice as fast when they had a loving partner by their side, compared with those who were single.
Love contributes to lowering your blood pressure
High blood pressure is linked to the risk of stroke and heart disease. What’s interesting is that love was proven to lower blood pressure. According to a study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, being in a healthy relationship/ marriage is linked to lowering blood pressure.
Love develops in phases
According to a Harvard study, love develops in phases of intensity. It first begins with an obsession and then slowly transforms into a stronger and more mature feeling. Wonder if your relationship is serious or not? More info here.
Love makes you more emphatic
The best relationship is the one that makes you a better person. So if you find a partner that makes you want to be the best version of yourself, don’t let them go.
A healthy, loving relationship activates the part of the brain that makes you more emotional and empathetic.
Fragrance can make individuals much more attractive
According to relationship therapist Rhonda Milrad, LCSW “for both men and women, how someone smells and whether you are innately drawn to that scent goes a long way in determining your attraction.”
And that’s because of pheromones, the chemicals released when sweating that can make you more attractive.
The world’s longest married couple lasted 86 years
Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher have been married for 86 years and 260 days, setting the record for the longest-married couple in the world. The next time you are hurt and don’t believe in love, remember that these two people lasted for 86 years, ’till death set them apart.
Love makes you do crazy things
When love is true, it makes you do crazy things, like escaping from jail just to see your loved one more time. While it’s indeed very romantic, I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
Joseph Andrew Dekenipp, a prisoner in Arizona, escaped from jail just to see his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. Good for you, Joseph. So girls, get you a man that will do crazy things for you!
Love can get you anywhere you want
A commoner became the Queen of Norway because she believed in love and was lucky enough to find her king. Queen Sonja was born in a modest family and was the daughter of a clothing merchant. She began dating Crown Prince Harald, but the two kept their romance a secret.
Harald loved Sonja so much, that he wanted to marry her, even though she wasn’t royalty. He assured his father that he doesn’t want to get married unless it’s to Sonja, and the king finally agreed. The two married on August 29, 1968.
The moral of the story, when love is true, it can conquer everything!
Red is the color of love
With red being the color of love, red roses are also the flowers of love. If you have no idea what to get your girlfriend/wife for Valentine’s day, a red rose bouquet will work perfectly, as they’re known to be the favorite flowers of Venus, the goddess of love.
Love and desire affect different areas of the brain
Love and lust are two different things that often get confused. With that being said, a night spent with the one you love will have a totally different effect on you compared to a one night stand with a stranger.
According to studies, love is connected to the area of the brain associated with empathy, while lust is connected to the area associated with reward and motivation.
Love helps you live longer
The secret to a long, happy life is love. Everything begins with love, then it comes marriage, and then you have the chance to live your life with the one you love the most.
According to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, married couples lived longer than their single counterparts.
If you liked this article, you might also want to check out: 12 Painful Signs Your Significant Other Isn’t In Love With You Anymore
