According to a study published in Journal of Women and Aging, communicating with female friends decreases stress hormone (cortisol) levels for women across their lifespan. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that controls mood, motivation and fear. It is the main stress hormone of the body and is known as nature’s built-in alarm system.
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For the study titled, What are friends for? Researchers tested 32 women aged 18-79. Each participant was either paired with a friend (familiar partner) or a stranger (unfamiliar partner) and was given a series of conversational challenges.
As per the findings, participants communicated more efficiently with their friends (familiar partners) as compared to unfamiliar partners. The team also measured salivary cortisol to quantify and compare participants' stress levels throughout the testing process. Across both age groups, those working with their friends had consistently lower cortisol levels than those working with unfamiliar partners.
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