Studies have shown that love can do miraculous things to the body. Butterflies in the stomach and elevated mood are just some of the things that happen to the brain and the body when you fall in love. Yes, it feels amazing, and Kesha’s upbeat ode to grown-up crushes authorizes an important and very real emotional experience that is all too often written off as lust or infatuation.
These aren’t just fleeting feelings to be dismissed as superficial attraction. They’re profound signs that we’ve encountered a person who could become a significant part of our story. This recognition helps us approach new connections with the understanding that what feels like simple chemistry is our entire heart responding to the possibility of the human connection we’ve been looking for.
If a person truly loves you from the depths of their soul, you will feel these 5 things on a regular basis:1. An ability to endure pain
Miljan Zivkovic / Shutterstock
A Stanford University study proved that being in love can help you endure pain, which could help how researchers in the future handle pain management in patients. Some of the candidates of the study were shown pictures of their romantic partners, while others were shown pictures of casual acquaintances.
The study proved that viewing pictures of the romantic partners actually had analgesic properties, especially when compared to those who were just shown pictures of acquaintances.
Moderate pain was reduced by approximately 40 percent in those that were shown the picture of loved ones, and intense pain was reduced by up to 15 percent.
2. A desire to cuddle up
LightField Studios / Shutterstock
Oxytocin, which has been dubbed “the love hormone,” is the chemical that the brain releases when one is in love. It has been known to make people want to cuddle up next to their romantic partners, but recent research suggests it might also help in curing headaches, even some as severe as migraines.
It is thought to inhibit pain receptors in the brain, which researchers are using to develop a new drug to help with headache relief that has no known side effects as of yet.
3. A decreased risk of heart attack
Dean Drobot / Shutterstock
A study from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology could prove that living with a spouse can prevent heart attacks in men and women of various age groups. When studying acute cardiac instances over 10 years, the study showed a much higher rate of heart attacks and fatalities in people who were unmarried or living alone.
They also had a much higher rate of fatality in the month after leaving the hospital after their cardiac incident. The theory is that someone who is married may have better health habits leading up to the cardiac event to begin with, but also better care after an incident if they are living with a spouse.
4. A reduction in blood pressure
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
It is also possible that the lowered risk of heart attack in married people is because love has been known to reduce blood pressure. A recent study showed that blood pressure dropped in people when their spouses were present.
The study has spurred more conversation about the effects of deep, meaningful relationships on one’s long-term health, but it’s certainly not the first. The National Institute of Health has long been studying the health benefits that love, cuddling, and oxytocin have on the health of any love relationship, including a marriage or a relationship between a parent and child.
5. A relief from stress
Yuri A / Shuterstock
Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook found that being in a love relationship can reduce anxiety and help people cope with stress better than those without this meaningful support system.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued a lengthy report showing that people in marriages tend to abuse substances less and find better ways to alleviate stress. The report showed that people in marriages tend to live longer, happier, and healthier lives in general than those who aren’t in long-term love relationships.
Jillian Kramer is an award-winning storyteller. She’s been featured in Food and Wine, Glamour, SELF, Brides, and Women’s Health Magazine.
Related Stories From YourTango: