We’ve all heard the phrase “love heals,” but what if that sentiment is more than just poetic? Science increasingly confirms that love — whether romantic, platonic, familial, and spiritual — has tangible effects on the human heart.
The science of love and heart health
The profound connection between emotional well-being and the physical body underscores the value of living in community with others. We are designed to thrive in relationships rather than in isolation. Love is not just an emotion — it is a biological force that activates key systems in the body. When we experience love, our brain releases chemicals that impact heart function.
Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” is released in moments of bonding. Simple acts of affection, like holding hands, hugging, or touching stimulate the brain to produce oxytocin.[i] Oxytocin lowers blood pressure and reduces stress hormones like cortisol.[ii] It also reduces inflammation, an underlying factor in many diseases including heart disease.
The impact of oxytocin has direct effects on the heart at the cellular level. Love heals becomes reality through promoting cell regeneration and repair following cardiac injury.[iii]
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Dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters associated with happiness and well-being are also associated with the emotion of love. These hormones contribute to heart health by regulating mood and decreasing cortisol, which is a major contributor to heart disease.[iv]
Studies suggest that people in loving relationships — whether romantic or social — have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and live longer than those who experience chronic loneliness or social isolation.[v]
A landmark study conducted by Holt-Lunstad and colleagues analyzed over 300,000 participants and found that individuals with meaningful social ties had a 50% increased likelihood of survival compared to those who were socially isolated.[vi]
Moreover, people who experience love and support tend to engage in healthier behaviors. Those in loving relationships are more likely to engage in regular physical activity, eat healthier, and adhere to medical treatments, all of which contribute to healthy longevity.[vii]
Beyond romantic love, faith-based love has been associated with longer life expectancy and better heart health. Studies have shown that individuals who engage in religious or spiritual communities have lower rates of hypertension and improved cardiovascular outcomes, likely due to the sense of belonging and the emotional support they experience.[viii] (Koenig et al.).
Love and gratitude
When we love or are loved, it is impossible to not feel a sense of gratitude. Even with the grief of loss, we feel grateful for having experienced love. To feel neither love nor grief is to feel nothing. Wouldn’t we rather feel something than nothing? I have grieved deeply only because I have loved deeply. I would not forfeit love because of the risk of grief and therefore, I am grateful. Gratitude benefits the mind, heart, body, and soul.
Love as medicine for the heart
February 14th is the day of love and the month of February highlights heart health. In a world, where broken hearts exist, we may discover that health may not only lie in diet and exercise but also in the quality of our relationships. Love — given and received — is one of the most powerful forms of medicine, and its effects are both measurable and profound.
Regardless of day, month, or year, we can seek to love ourselves, love the lost, love the lonely, love those like us and those who are different, and most importantly, love God. This is the secret to a healthy and meaningful life.
References
[i] Light, Kathleen C., et al. “More Frequent Partner Hugs and Higher Oxytocin Levels Are Linked to Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Premenopausal Women.” Biological Psychology, vol. 69, no. 1, 2005, pp. 5-21.
[ii] Grewen, Karen M., et al. “Effects of Oxytocin on Cardiovascular Responses to Stress in Humans.” Biological Psychology, vol. 69, no. 3, 2005, pp. 277-289.
[iii] Gutkowska, Jolanta, et al. “Oxytocin in the Heart and Cardiovascular System.” American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 293, no. 5, 2007, pp. H2809-H2818.
[iv] Young, Simon N., and Gavin M. Anderson. “Serotonin in Affective Disorders.” Clinical Chemistry, vol. 34, no. 4, 1988, pp. 479-489.
[v] Holt-Lunstad, Julianne, et al. “Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review.” PLoS Medicine, vol. 7, no. 7, 2010, e1000316.
[vi] Holt-Lunstad, Julianne, et al. “Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review.” PLoS Medicine, vol. 7, no. 7, 2010, e1000316.
[vii] Umberson, Debra, and Jennifer Karas Montez. “Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, vol. 51, no. 1_suppl, 2010, pp. S54-S66.
[viii] Koenig, Harold G., et al. “Religion, Spirituality, and Cardiovascular Disease: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.” Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 50, no. 1, 2011, pp. 3-17.
Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician who studied at Oklahoma State University, North Texas Health Science Center, and completed her training at Baylor University in Houston. She was one of three physicians selected in 1992 by Carolina Health Specialists (CHS) to begin the first hospital-based internal medicine practice outside of a university setting in the United States.
