Researchers from the University of Cambridge (UK) and Fudan University (China) assert that spending time with loved ones contributes to a healthy and long life. They found that such interactions help reduce the risk of serious illnesses, including stroke and type 2 diabetes.
According to a new study by the team, meeting with friends and family strengthens our immune system, as reported by the Daily Mail. It may sound incredible, but these connections slow the accumulation of five types of proteins directly linked to loneliness.
How Did Scientists Discover This?
Previous studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness are associated with deteriorating well-being and early mortality. However, the molecular mechanisms by which loneliness affects health have remained unclear.
The authors of the new study shed light on this connection. During their research, scientists examined blood samples from 42,000 adult volunteers aged 40 to 69, who provided health data to the UK Biobank.
The team discovered that social isolation or loneliness among participants leads to an excess of five specific proteins in the body. It turned out that high concentrations of these proteins correlate with the deterioration of the volunteers’ health, specifically with cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol levels, the development of insulin resistance, and premature death.
Thus, the researchers’ findings confirmed the importance of social contacts for our health.
Dr. Chun Shen, a co-author of the study from the Department of Neuroscience at Fudan University, noted, “We know that social isolation and loneliness are linked to declining health, but we never understood why. Our work identified a number of proteins that play a key role in this connection, with increased levels of certain proteins being a direct consequence of loneliness.”
Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge added, “The results underscore the importance of social contacts for maintaining our well-being.” She emphasized that this is particularly significant as more and more people of all ages report feelings of loneliness.
The study’s findings were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
Interestingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled social isolation and loneliness as a “global public health issue.”