Generic beach wedding pic. The heart of health ... love is good for you physically and mentally.
Love and sex are good for both mind and body. Even better if you have both, writes Rachael Oakes-Ash.
The first, heady days of falling in love can be a dizzying experience, with flushed cheeks, skipped heartbeats and sweaty palms at the mention of our flame's name.
Lovers often feel as if they are walking on air and the world takes on a rosy glow.
The good news is that love is officially good for you. Studies show that loved-up couples experience less anxiety, a healthier heart and a longer life.
For Australians, it really is a case of ''the longer you love, the longer you live'', as the death rate for single people continues to climb higher than that for married couples, from the age of 40 to 60. Once we hit 70 to 84, the death rate of singles is double that of married men and women.
Love is a drug
Then there's the sex. Married women not only report more regular sex but they have a more emotionally satisfying sex life than single women and where there's sex, there's oxytocin. This ''love drug'' hormone is released by the body when we have physical contact with another person from platonic cuddling to the intimacy of orgasm.
It is the drug that attracts couples in the bedroom and is prevalent in women during childbirth and breastfeeding, as a mother bonds with her child. Studies have shown that female mother rats reject their young when starved of the hormone.
Dopamine, or the ''bliss hormone'', is also released when falling in love, alongside the adrenalin-like norepinephrine, which creates the racing heart, sweaty palms, loss of appetite and excitement.
Sound familiar?
But be warned: the chemical reactions of love are powerful and can be highly addictive, as psychologist Meredith Fuller attests. ''Some people are addicted to the biochemical stuff and are so addicted to falling in love that they will finish the relationship when it reaches the second stage and look for another high with a new one,'' she says. ''Long-term commitment isn't high on their priorities.''
Romance is king
Romantics, however, can breathe a sigh of relief. Emotions still play a large part of the glow that love can create. ''When we find another person who accepts us for who we are and wants the best for us, it gives us a sense of trust and safety,'' Fuller says. ''New lovers will have an improvement in health and attitude, things feel easier and there is a greater capacity to feel positive emotions of joy and happiness.''
Erica French runs Fit2Date, a group fitness company for singles looking to ''work the heart both ways''. Both cardio exercise and flirting release endorphins so they get the double whammy - it must be working as 10 couples have married in the four years since business started.
''When people are looking for love they will concentrate on looking good to attract a partner,'' French says. ''My clients are always putting their best foot forward, playing their A-game and showing their best qualities as quickly as possible. But once they get the relationship, it feels like a weight lifting off [their] shoulders and they say they can breathe and relax because they feel safe and no longer feel a sense of urgency.
''Most couples then say they've put on weight once they've got into the second stage of their relationship.''
With all this comfort in each other's presence, it's no surprise that a University of North Carolina study suggests married couples are more likely to become obese than their single counterparts.
There's good news for women, though, as other studies from the same university reveal that women's blood pressure drops when they're with their partner and lower blood pressure means less risk of stroke.
When love goes wrong
The stress when love goes bad can be as detrimental to your health as the benefits of when it goes right. Divorced and widowed people are said to suffer 20 per cent more chronic health conditions, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
''When love goes sour, sometimes people will plunge into anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, worrying and catastrophic thinking,'' Fuller warns. ''You can lose a sense of safety and trust. Sadly, we are breeding a sense of instant gratification and technology encourages this. People think they don't have to do the hard work and they just want the other person to do all the chasing, be my slave, adore me and make my life easy and that can also cause problems.''
There's no doubt that a healthy relationship is just that: good for your health. Even after the initial high, the benefits of remaining close far outweigh those of a world without love. As French says: ''Being vulnerable with someone is the hardest place to go but the best place to be.''

Falling in love again

If you're craving the love hormone after years in the same relationship, there are ways of reigniting the flame and gaining those health benefits.
Compliments work
Couples can easily fall into a cycle of criticism and nagging. Next time you are being critical, stop! Concentrate on your partner's positive aspects then compliment them. And remember, a bunch of flowers goes a long way.
Questions, questions
Life can become predictable in long-term relationships as routine takes over. It's important to take the time to ask each other questions that promote healthy discussion, from world events to life purpose.
Have fun
Finding a mutual passion means spending quality time together whether you are taking a photographic course, climbing mountains or enjoying the theatre. Shared experiences promote conversation and a sense of healthy expectation.
Me time
If you don't love you then who else can? Accepting love is as important as giving love so find time for yourself, whether it's massage and pampering, gardening or fitness. Being happy in your own skin will make you more receptive to your partner.