Without friends, no one would want to live, even if he had all other goods.
- Aristotle

It’s the time of the year when the holidays arrive and the celebrations begin. If my holiday is like previous ones I have experienced, I will surely spend time with friends. And as in the past, we will uncork a bottle of fine Australian shiraz, raise our glasses and toast each other while espousing that common phrase “To your health.”

Now let’s think about this: if you were alone, you would not have a glass of wine and toast yourself by saying “To my health.” When we choose to celebrate and offer a toast, it is amongst friends. Not only do we raise our glasses to celebrate years of bonding that have solidified our relationships, but we also do so to celebrate what will hopefully be a year of good health. Health and friendship go together, just as bread and butter, coffee and cream, and hamburgers and fries. Research confirms the notion that having meaningful friendships is good for your health.

How Friends Influence Your Health
Study after study confirms having one or two good friends is extremely important to longevity. Interestingly, these same studies indicate friendships are more significant to health than relationships with family members. Friendships help people achieve better mental health as identified by the number of depressive signs and symptoms that may be present. Having even one close friend enables people to handle stress in very positive ways.

Some of the most significant research about friendships and health has been conducted here at The Ohio State University under the leadership of psychologist Janice Kielcot-Glaser. According to Dr. Kielcot-Glaser, social support is perhaps the most reliable factor in attaining an improved immune response. An improved immune response helps the body increase resistance to disease and illness. Friendships can also have a positive impact on breast cancer. A recent Stanford University study found women with advanced breast cancer who attended weekly support groups lived twice as long as women who had no support group.

Friendships can also help offset risk factors for developing heart disease in several ways:
Weight control. The relationship between heart disease and being overweight is well accepted. People who diet with each other tend to have an easier time losing weight than when they try to go it alone. Think about the concept of Weight Watchers: people attend meetings with others, who in turn lend a supportive environment for each other.
Stress. Many studies show social support helps people improve their cardiovascular functions such as reduced blood pressure and lowered resting heartbeat rate.
Cigarette smoking. People who try to stop smoking often have an easier time when they have a friend who will encourage positive behavior.

Being a Good Friend
Being a good friend and choosing good friends are important factors toward achieving good health. Choose friends who will do activities with you such as going on walks or accompanying you to a doctor’s appointment. Make your friends a priority. Instead of saying you need to run an errand, spend meaningful time with a friend and run the errand later. Enjoy meaningful conversations with your friends, even if they’re short.

Perhaps one of the most significant ingredients in friendships is being positive. If you associate with those who spend time complaining and being negative, that will not serve you well. People who associate with those who are positive are happier. Negative people promote negative feelings.

Celebrate the holidays wisely by not underestimating the importance of your friends. Your body and mind will love you for it, as will your friends.

Dr. Philip Heit is Professor Emeritus of Physical Activity and Educational Services at The Ohio State University.