Love actually heals couples faster, say scientists
Scientists have discovered that oxytocin, nicknamed the hormone of love, promotes faster wound healing.
The new research was presented at the global Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society’s conference hosted by Trinity College Dublin yesterday.
Oxytocin, a hormone produced naturally in the brain, increases positive communication behaviour between couples and reduces stress.
Scientists in the US found that the wounds of couples with higher levels of oxytocin in their blood healed faster.
The research, funded by the US National Institutes of Health, shows that oxytocin may be an important link between the quality of people’s relationships and their state of health.
Lead researcher Jean-Philippe Gouin from Ohio State University and his team created small blister wounds on the forearms of 37 married couples and then assessed the rate of healing over two weeks.
Each couple was also asked to take part in a task in which each participant sought and offered social support to their partner.
During the tasks researchers evaluated the quality of the interaction between the couples and measured the level of oxytocin in their blood.
“Participants who displayed more positive behaviours, associated with higher oxytocin levels, showed faster wound healing than their less positive counterparts,” said Dr Gouin.
“This data suggests that the high oxytocin levels associated with frequent positive communication behaviour may be responsible for the impact of positive marital interaction on wound healing,” he said.
Scientists have also discovered that a strong sense of purpose in life is linked to lower levels of inflammation associated with chronic disease in older people.
