Why Love Is The Perfect Antidote

To Stress

Falling in love sure sounds stressful: the quickened pulse, the fixation, the anxiety that feelings won't be returned. But while the sight of your beloved might send your heart racing (thanks to a kick of adrenaline), the act of being in love may have a protective effect on your health.

Indeed, the moments of first love involve some stress. One small study of those who were newly in love found that levels of cortisol -- a stress hormone -- were higher in recent lovebirds than in those who were single or in long-term relationships. What's interesting is that when the group was tested again 12 and 24 months later, their cortisol levels had returned to normal. It suggests that the stress of falling in love is fleeting, but the benefits of being in love remain -- including some other hormonal changes that may have a stress-protective effect.

Click the link to read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/healthy-love-relieves-stress_n_2661809.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

Story and photo courtesy of Huffington Post