GFriends are a true guarantee of a long and healthy life. It’s not just a figure of speech, but a scientific statement. An Anglo-Chinese study published in Nature Human Behavior confirms the shield effect of friendship and explains why.
Friends as a shield for longevity? Here’s why
According to the latest studies from the universities of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, and Fudan, in China, people who live alone and do not share time and experiences with friends have a particular protein set linked to stress. But also to high cholesterol, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis which leads to heart attack and even the development of tumors. Those who have few social relationships therefore develop the so-called “loneliness proteins”, become sicker and are more likely to die prematurely.
However, people who can count on a large network of loved ones, both family and non-family, are less subject to the risk of heart disease, stroke or diabetes. They also have a more vigorous immune system that can better protect against infections.
Friends are a shield against disease: the Anglo-Chinese study
The research was conducted by a team from the universities of Cambridge, UK, and Fudan, China. Thanks to the data from UK Biobankthe authors analyzed the blood samples of over 42 thousand adults between the ages of 40 and 69 and examined in particular the proteomesthe set of circulating proteins. For each person the social isolation scores (such as living alone, having little contact with others and low involvement in group activities) and loneliness (subjective measure of feeling lonely).
As described by AdnKronos“scientists were able to identify proteins present at higher levels in socially isolated or lonely people and understand how they are related to poorer health. Net of confounding factors such as age, sex and socioeconomic background, they were identified as follows 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 linked to lonelinesswith an overlap of 85%”.
The 5 proteins of loneliness and inflammation
Many of these “loneliness proteins” are produced in response to inflammation, viral infections and as an immune reaction, as well as being linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and early death, researchers say. Using the statistical technique of Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal relationship between social isolation and loneliness on the one hand and proteins on the other, the scientists found 5 specific proteins for loneliness.
Social relationships protect and extend life, a study explains why (Getty Images)
“We know that social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer health, but we’ve never understood why,” he says Chun Shen of the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and dellBrain-Inspired Intelligence Science and Technology Institute of Fudan University. «Our work has highlighted a number of proteins that appear to play a key role in this relationship, with levels of some proteins in particular that increase as a direct consequence of loneliness».
Friends against stress hormones
One of the proteins of loneliness isAdmwhich according to previous studies plays a role in the response to stress and in the regulation of stress hormones and social hormones such as oxytocin: the so-called ‘love hormone’, anti-stress and ally of good mood. Scientists have found a strong association between ADM and the volume of the insula, the brain center that governs the ability to perceive what is happening inside our body.
The higher the Adm levels, the lower the volume of this area. Higher concentrations of Adm have also been linked to a smaller volume of the left caudate, a region involved in emotional, reward and social processes. Finally, higher levels of Adm have been associated with a higher risk of early death. Another of the loneliness proteins, Asgr1, is related to the high cholesterol and at a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases. Still others play a role in the development of insulin resistance antechamber of diabetesin the encrustation of the arteries at the base of atherosclerosis and in cancer progression.
Social isolation is a public health problem
«These discoveries – comments Per Barbara Sahakian of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge – they underline the importance of social contact to keep us healthy. More and more people of all ages report feeling lonely. That’s why the World Health Organization has described social isolation and loneliness as a global public health problem. We must find ways to address this growing problem and keeping people connected to help them stay healthy.”
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