File photo: African News Agency (ANA) File photo: African News Agency (ANA)
Falling in love can make the world seem a better place - but it can also have a major impact on your health.
A wealth of new research has found that romance can help improve a range of conditions, from high blood pressure to pain and allergic reactions. Falling in love is the result of activity in 12 areas of the brain working together, according to researchers at the University of Western Virginia in California.
They say the first changes in brain activity begin within one-fifth of a second of becoming smitten.
There is a surge of chemicals such as dopamine, which helps to regulate emotional responses, and oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone” that induces feelings of trust and reduces anxiety.
This may explain why a study in the journal Annals of Behavioural Medicine found that people in love tend to have lower blood pressure.
It is thought hormones released by touch are likely to play a role - pressure centres in the skin are in contact with the brain through the vagus nerve, which runs down the body.
One theory is that stimulation of the vagus triggers an increase in oxytocin.
Falling in love can also have an effect on our ability to fight off infections.
Research from a study of 50 women found those who fell in love during the two-year study had genetic changes linked to higher concentrations of compounds that attack viruses, reported the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Couples who kiss each other the most have lower levels of cholesterol. A 2013 study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, found that couples told to increase the time they spent kissing over six weeks had improved cholesterol levels.
Another study at the University of California showed that people who were regularly hugged by their partner were less likely to be depressed or anxious. Daily Mail