Love is in the air, and not just because it’s Valentine’s season.
Americans love love. There has been a 52% jump in the number of romance novels purchased each year in the U.S., and romance is the top selling genre with almost $1.5 billion in sales.1 Streaming services like the Hallmark Channel and Great American Family rack up tens of millions of subscribers each year.2 Reality dating shows continue to dominate ratings. Everywhere you look, from the bookstore to the movie theater to advertising to your favorite streaming show, love is always in the air.
The jaded might be tempted to say, “Well, of course, because temptation sells!” But that’s not the content that is driving these numbers. People love a good love story, and that might just be built into the way we are designed. And it’s not just romantic love that makes the page and the screen. It’s feel-good stories about the love of families and communities that also draw us in. Why? Because our hearts and minds and physiology respond to the love of our friends, family, and spouse.
Love has a whole lot to do with our health.
Love helps kick stress and anxiety to the curb. Dr. Helen Riess, director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains it this way: ““When people feel securely attached, their stress levels go down. Just being in the presence of someone who greets us with positive regard and caring can actually lower those levels of cortisol and adrenaline and create greater homeostasis, which means that your neurochemicals are back in balance.”4 Love helps drop inflammation levels, a key component in diabetes prevention. Healthy loving relationships help drop the brain chemicals that show up when we don’t feel safe or when we’re lonely and love helps raise those hormones that help us feel connected and comforted.
Love helps you take better care of yourself. When you love others and when others love you, you all encourage each other to take care of your health. From taking walks with a friend to reminding your spouse to go in for important preventative testing to having someone spot a symptom in you that you might have missed, the love of and for others means that we take care of each other. (If you’re a Member of Altrua HealthShare, then you know that caring for each other is the core value of the Membership. If you’re interested in learning more about the affordability and flexibility of being part of the health share, you can contact a Member Services Representative at 1.888.244.3839. You can also visit the website at altruahealthshare.org for more information.)
Love helps you live longer. The Stanford Center on Longevity cites a study in which it was shown that stronger relationships create a 50% increase in longevity.5 Obesity and inactivity were decreased for those in strong community, family, and romantic relationships. And check this out: a new study shows that when you take the time to visit with your family just once a month, it can help them live longer!6 Researchers believe this is in part due to the social component of being with family, helping stave off loneliness and depression.
Now that you know some of the health benefits of love, you might wonder if your relationships are healthy enough to provide the kind of health boosts listed above. Here’s the good news. When you invest in a healthy way in your relationships, the returns can be powerful. For a couple of your relationships, that might mean talking with a counselor or coach, to get the tools you need for a better connection and interaction. Members of Altrua HealthShare on certain memberships have access to Telus Health and their telecounseling feature, at no additional cost. You can set up an appointment through the Altrua HealthShare App to talk with someone about what kind of guidance you’d like. For some of your other relationships, all that’s needed is a little more intentional time and attention.
As you celebrate love this month, celebrate the fact that love is good for you! It will make you even more grateful for the Valentines in your life.
1 https://wordsrated.com/romance-novel-sales-statistics/
2 http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2025/01/07/hallmark-channel-finishes-2024-as-the-number-1-most-watched-entertainment-cable-network-of-the-year-726114/20250107hallmark01/
3 https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/2024/#:~:text=While%20most%20linear%20cable%20channels,enjoy%20for%20years%20to%20come.
4 https://time.com/5136409/health-benefits-love/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhen%20people%20feel,back%20in%20balance.%E2%80%9D
5 https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle-medicine-2-relationships/#:~:text=THE%20EVIDENCE&text=One%20study%2C%20which%20analyzed%20data,likelihood%20of%20survival%20by%2050%25.
6 https://www.businessinsider.com/visit-family-friends-social-interaction-help-live-longer-study-2023-11