Love. What is it good for?

So there I was listening to a little Edwin Starr when it got me thinking, well what about love? What is it good for? And I came to the very groovy conclusion of , absolutely everything. SAY IT AGAIN!

In all seriousness, love really is a great thing. It's the glue that keeps us together, it's what makes us want to be around one another, to help one another. We all know that warm fuzzy feeling we get when we're with someone we love, but did you know that aside from just a good feeling inside there are actual health benefits associated with love as well?

Harry Reis, PhD and co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, tells us that "There is very nice evidence that people who participate in satisfying, long-term relationships fare better on a whole variety of health measures".  The department of Health and Human services backs this claim with quite a few research proven benefits of love.

Just by taking a small dose of love everyday you can expect to see: Fewer doctor visits, less colds, lower blood pressure, less stress, faster healing, less anxiety, and even better natural pain control.
Not to mention that people who maintain long lasting relationships are proven to have a lower chance of succumbing to depression or substance abuse and tend to live longer happier lives.

So get out there and get yourself some love. Make a friend, find a mate, give a stranger a hug, it doesn't matter, just a little bit can go a long way.