About a decade ago, a study carried out at UCLA examined the benefits of
friendship among women. It made official what many women have known all along: Our friendships not only make us feel better, they are a positive force for reducing stress and helping us lead healthier, happier lives.
The UCLA study found that women respond to stress with a rush of brain chemicals that makes us seek out women for comfort and support.
The catalyst for this research came when Klein and a colleague, Shelley Taylor,
realized that when women working in their lab were stressed, they gathered
together to commiserate, while stressed-out men went off on their own.
Even having a woman nearby in stressful times makes a difference: Doula-supported childbirth in which a woman supports the birthing mother has been demonstrated to reduce labor by more than an hour. In short, friends help us live calmer, longer, better lives.
clipped from: www.opednews.com