encourages her to tend to children and gather with other women. When she engages in this ‘tend and befriend’ behavior, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect. This calming response does not occur in men because testosterone – which men produce in high levels when they are under stress – seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. The fact the women respond to stress differently than men has significant implications for health.

Increasingly, researchers believe that the hormone oxytocin is the elixir of friendship – and by extension, of health. In females, oxytocin levels spike following childbirth and when nursing, and also increase at times of isolation and stress. When the hormone interacts with estrogen, studies have shown it impels females to seek the company of others. The ‘tend and befriend’ notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may help explain why women consistently outlive men. Men are more likely to deal with stress with a ‘fight or flight’ reaction – with aggression or withdrawal. Aggression and withdrawal take a physiologic toll, while friendship brings comfort that mitigates the ill effects of stress. Studies show that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol, and improving the function of our immune systems.

Women friendships profoundly affect the health of both genders, according to researchers. According to Dr. James J. Lynch, author and psychologist, loneliness is one of the principle causes of premature deaths in this country. Men and women who report loneliness die earlier, get sick more often, and weather transitions with greater physical wear and tear than those who say they have a support network of friends or family. Men rely heavily on their wives to ward off the corrosive health effects of loneliness. Studies show that married men are markedly healthier and live longer than bachelors or widowers, while married women are only slightly better off than unmarried women or widows when it comes to health and social support. Researchers attribute this difference to women’s greater reliance on friendships outside of marriage, which make women’s support networks broader, deeper and more resilient than the support system that men often have.

In your journey towards optimal health, don’t overlook the power your best girl friends have to help you overcome illness and depression, speed recovery times, reduce chronic stress (which, we all know leads to and exacerbates chronic disease), improve vitality and promote longevity! Dear readers, now is the time to go out and celebrate your connection with your female friends – it will do your mind-body-spirit good!

According to a recent article in the NY Times, researchers are only now starting to pay attention to words of wisdom popularized by The Beatles – studies show that friendship and social networks play a very important role in overall health. In 2006, a study of over 3,000 nurses with breast cancer found that women without close friends were four times as likely to die from the disease as the women with 10 or more friends, regardless of proximity or the amount of time spent with those friends.

In other words, just having friends was protective for these women! In many studies, friendships have an even greater positive effect on health than does a spouse or family member. A 6-year study of middle-age Swedish men shows that a lack of a social support network was as important as smoking (!) as a risk factor for heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease. Aside from the physical assistance friends provide when we are sick (e.g. running errands, picking up medicine, or dropping off some freshly made bone broth), friendships also have a profound psychological effect.

People with strong friendships are less likely than others to get colds – perhaps because they have lower stress levels? Wait – there’s more! Most of you are very familiar with our suggestions to take high quality essential fatty acids (‘EFAs’) daily, in part, to nourish our perpetually over-taxed nervous systems. While we would never suggest going without EFAs, Harvard University did recently publish a study reporting that strong social ties may promote brain health as we age. So, break out your social calendar, grab your cod liver oil, live long, and prosper!

We hope you found this information helpful. We strive to help our patients find a healthy way in the world. If you have topics you'd like us to address in future issues please let us know. We are always available for questions and comments.

Warm Regards,

The Physicians of Bambú Clinic

P.S. Bambú Clinic’s new program, Women to Women, promotes the power of sisterhood through a casual dialogue about health and lifestyle.