Post date: Nov 09, 2010 7:43:19 PM
You probably know by now that omega-3 fatty acids and
antioxidants will boost your health, but did you know that
having strong friendships will also help you live a longer
life?
Recent research has shown that people with a strongconnection of friendships age more gracefully, bounce backquickly from illness, have a better immune system, and livea longer life. Mayo Clinic recently revealed studies thatshowed that strong friendships improve confidence, reducestress, decrease mental illness, and give you necessarylong-term support throughout life.Additionally, a Harvard study from 2008 showed that having abooming social life delayed mental impairment and memory lossin elderly Americans. When you couple that with the fact thatcoffee is also full of antioxidants that have beenscientifically proven to prevent Alzheimer's disease andimpaired mental function caused by age, there is no reasonnot to grab a cup of Joe with a long-lost friend today! A 10year study in Australia also showed that elderly adults whohave strong social connections lived longer than those who
did not.
Furthermore, a team of researchers from Brigham Young
University announced in 2010 their conclusions of over 148
studies revealing how relationships affected health. These
studies followed more than 308,000 people, and they showed
that it was as harmful to the health to have little or no
social interaction as it was not to exercise! In fact, not
having strong friendships was twice as detrimental to the
health as being obese!
This health benefit comes from the true connection of
friendship, even more so than in marriage or family
relationships. Rebecca G. Adams, a sociology professor at
the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, confirmed that
friendship has a large impact on psychological well-being,
even more so than strong family ties.
So what are some quick ways to improve your health by
strengthening your friendships?
Call up your best buddy to go on a coffee date, or invite a
friend you haven't talked to lately over to your house for
some coffee. (Remember that coffee is also full of healthy
antioxidants that have been scientifically proven to reduce
the risk of stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, type II
diabetes, and even gallstones. Bonus!)
Keep in mind that not everyone has to be your best friend.
You can have certain friends that you meet for play dates
with your children, working out, or even in a larger group
of friends, yet the connection still provides the same
health benefits.
Give a friend a call. In this day and age where social media
websites like Facebook are highly prevalent, we are often
missing out on face time with our friends. Even if your
friend doesn't live in the same area of the country as you,
you can still connect voice to voice over the phone to
strengthen your relationship.
Get out and about. If you are interested in making new
friends, you can volunteer, join a sports team, hang out at
a local cafe with a cup of Joe, and try new activities to
meet new people and improve your health!
About the Author:
Mark Ramos is a coffee fanatic and owns The Coffee Bump. For
a great selection in all things coffee and espresso
machines, check out http://www.thecoffeebump.com