Being in a relationship can actually do wonders for your health and you should consider one if you are single.

While being in a relationship can improve your health, you should also note that being in an unhealthy relationship won’t improve your health but will instead affect your health negatively.

Below are 4 ways being in a relationship improves your health

1. IT HELPS COMBAT COGNITIVE DECLINE

According to a 2011 study of 1,000 adults published in Time, people who are in a relationship had a 70 percent reduction in their rates of cognitive decline over several years when compared to people who are lonely.

2. IT HELPS BOOST YOUR CANCER SURVIVAL

Being in a relationship will help improve your chances of surviving cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, marriage may help improve cancer survival rates. The study suggest that having someone who cares for you and who helps you understand your diagnosis helps improve your chances of surviving cancer.

3. IT HELPS YOUR HEALTH

According to a 2012 study presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, being in a marriage helps reduce the likelihood of a woman having high blood pressure. According to the study, the longer the marriage, the bigger the benefits appeared to be. Every 10 years of continuous marriage without divorce was tied to a 13 percent decrease in cardiovascular risk.

4. IT HELPS YOU LIVE LONGER

According to a 2010 review of 148 studies published in the journal PLoS Medicine, social connections like being in a relationship improves our odds of survival by 50 percent. According to the researchers, when someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks.