All you need is love; love is just a game for two; we found love in a hopeless place… is there anything that could be written about love that hasn"t already been sung in the Top 40’s chart? Well, how about the health benefits of love? Generally, singers prefer songs about getting stronger after a break-up, but there’s plenty of science to show that love and all the things that come with it are better for your health than being alone. “Love has the ability to powerfully influence our physical and mental wellbeing,” explains Niels Eék, psychologist and co-founder of mental wellbeing and self-development platform Remente. “Humans are typically social creatures and, often, we are strongest, healthiest, and happiest when we feel close to others. “An abundance of studies have found that loneliness negatively impacts our psychological wellbeing; it"s associated with a higher probability of anxiety and depression. In contrast, research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health saw a positive correlation between relationships and mental health. They can, among other things, boost one’s confidence and trust.” So, if you needed one more excuse to make that big romantic gesture this Valentine’s Day, here’s a few bits of evidence to help your case… Being with a partner lowers your blood pressure Well, at least when compared with being with other people. A study published by the American Psychomatic Medicine Society had 120 healthy adults wear blood pressure monitors for a six-day period. The research found that the participants’ systolic blood pressure was down by one point when they were with their partners, compared to when they were with other people. This was even the case in participants who didn’t describe their relationships as being particularly happy, suggesting familiarity and intimacy with another person is all it takes. Good to remember if your partner forgets your anniversary this year… You’ll spend less time in hospital As part of an attempt to promote marriage as a concept by George Bush’s government, the US Health and Human Services Department reviewed a tonne of studies and found that those in long term relationships tended to visit doctors less and have shorter hospital stays. It was unknown why this was, but it could be as simple as the idea that having a partner forces you to be healthy, says Eék. “The health benefits are partly due to the camaraderie that comes with being involved with another person. A caring partner wants what is best for us and, therefore, tends to ensure that we eat, drink, and sleep as we’re supposed to, seek healthcare when we need it, and so on.” Keeping your partner happy makes you live longer If you’re annoyed at being expected to get a bunch of flowers for your partner on Valentine’s Day, just remember that you’re actually helping yourself by doing so. That’s according to a study published by the Association For Psychological Science. It starts by citing studies which have shown that higher life satisfaction leads to longevity, then goes on to present evidence showing that your partner having higher life satisfaction might also help boost longevity. This could be down to the well-documented phenomenon where doing nice things for other people has been found to improve life satisfaction for the person doing the good deeds. Love can lower your stress levels (after a while) The early stages of a relationship can be stressful. You find yourself panicking about all manner of things: ‘do they like me? Am I coming on too strong? Did I just blow it? Does my hair look good? Are they going to get on with my friends?’ However, the evidence shows that after these initial doubts and worries you’ll generally become more relaxed, less anxious, and happier. A study from Harvard Medical School found that hugging, kissing, and sex with a partner releases a hormone called oxytocin, which deepens feelings of attachment as well as contentment, calmness, and security. In addition, studies have shown that being around the person you love releases dopamine, the hormone responsible for feelings of happiness, and less release of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. Frequent sex might keep you healthy Alright, alright, in the world of Tinder you don’t need to be in love to have sex, but given the aforementioned study which found that sex with a partner boosts the release of oxytocin, it might be the ideal way of doing so. And doing it is exactly what you should be doing if you want to stay healthy. A study from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that people who had sex once per week were 30pc higher in immunoglobulin A than in those who had no sex at all. And what does immunoglobulin A do? Well, it helps defend the body against illness. However, it’s also worth noting that people who had sex more than twice per week were even lower in immunoglobin A than those who had no sex at all. And the study itself even stated that more research was probably needed before we could say definitely.