(Newswire.net — December 23, 2017) — Marriage can get kind of a bad rap, but new research is showing that it shouldn’t. Marriage can actually have some very surprising health benefits.
Of course, it all depends on the quality of your relationship. Those that report lower relationship satisfaction don’t experience the same health benefits as those in healthy relationships.
It’s definitely worth the time to visit with a marriage counselor, pick up an intimacy enhancing medication, or simply start planning a date night once a week so you can cash in on the following benefits.
It Can Lower Your Risk of Heart Attack
One of the latest findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that being married can drastically reduce the risk of heart attack among patients with heart disease. These findings are in addition to Finnish studies that have shown that happily married men and women are also less likely to experience a heart attack.
How can this be? Researchers surmise it might have something to do with stress. Married people are generally more financially stable, they lead healthier lives, and they are less lonely, which are all things that can decrease stress levels, especially in old age.
It Reduces Your Chances of Developing a Mental Illness
One surprising finding notes that married men and women are also less likely to develop a mental illness. Married people have significantly lower rates of a wide variety of mental illnesses, like severe depression, and any other major recognized psychiatric disorders.
It Reduces Your Risk of Having a Stroke
Married men greatly reduce their chances of having a fatal stroke as compared to single men. In addition, you’re more likely to survive a stroke if you do have one and you’re married because you’re living with someone who can summon help quickly.
It Can Help You Live Longer
The most convincing reason to settle down and get married is the fact that both married men and women live longer than their unmarried counterparts. You can literally live up to 10 years longer if you have tied the knot!
The items on this list definitely show that this is possible, but there are a few other things that can be blamed for this amazing research finding:
- Married people are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, which includes substance abuse and dangerous driving
- Being married can reduce stress levels
- Married people get better sleep
- Being married reduces your chance of experiencing loneliness
You’re also more likely to live longer because there is another person who is looking out for your health. A spouse may encourage you to go to your annual doctor’s appointment or schedule a cleaning with the dentist, while single people are more likely to put these kinds of appointments off.
Being married has some truly amazing health benefits, and chances are, these findings have only scratched the surface. As research continues, we’ll likely discover there are many more convincing reasons to tie the knot and maintain healthy, happy long-term relationships.