Having friends is good for your health! It is not the first time that scientific research has paused to analyze the advantages of surrounding oneself with people we care about. In this case, an American study wanted to analyze the ability of friendship to keep diseases away.
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Having some friends it's healthy! It is not the first time that scientific research has paused to analyze the advantages of surrounding oneself with people we care about. In this case, an American study wanted to analyze the friendship capacity of keep diseases away.
Friends are the family we choose, comfort in difficult times and perfect people with whom to share joys and successes. Now science has shown that friends are also helpful in improving our health.
The study, conducted by a University of Michigan team on a sample of about 280 people, analyzed friendships and family ties and found that friendships are important not only for greater happiness but also for people's well-being.
According to the study, friendships grow stronger over time and may even take on greater significance than family ties. A good friendship gives happiness, emotional strength and is a concrete help to prevent chronic diseases. And in old age this becomes even more true, as William Chopik said at the head of the research:
“Friendships become even more important as we age. Keeping a few good friends can make a big difference to our health and well-being. So it's smart to invest in friendships that make you happier "
The study actually consisted of two investigations. In the first, the scientists analyzed the results of a survey that asked participants about personal connections and conducted a self-assessment of health and general well-being of about 270 people of all ages in nearly 100 countries. In the second, data from a survey on the level of tension and the presence of chronic diseases in almost 7.500 adults residing in the United States were analyzed.
The first study showed that although both family and friends were taken as indicators of health and happiness, only the latter are associated with higher life expectancy in old age. The second revealed that when friendships have generated upset or tension, the tendency to suffer from chronic diseases has increased. In the case of good friendships, on the contrary, the reverse has happened.
It is not the first time that science has paused to analyze the well-being and the greater state of health that gives friendship in our lives. Research from a few years ago showed that friends would be even better than morphine! The team from the British University of Oxford that carried out this survey was shown to be convinced that friends help to better cope with pain and keep depression at bay. This is thanks to the fact that, in their presence, many endorphins are released, substances that make us feel feelings of well-being and gratification.
We therefore remember to select our friends in the best possible way, not only because we will have someone with whom to share the joys, sorrows and challenges of life, but also to be healthier and happier.
On friends and the value of friendship, you may also be interested in:
- 5 things only true friends do for you
- How friendship changes when we become adults
- The extraordinary friendship between women: what to learn (since childhood)
