Family's not enough — scientists say hanging on to friends is more important than you think

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Having a strong family is a dream that many people envision for their lives. And while that's certainly a worthy goal, a new study released by researchers at Michigan State University this year said that if you want to be healthy later in life, it's actually your friendships that you should be nurturing. 

Lead researcher William Chopik studied 270,000 people in nearly 100 countries and found that people who reported having strong bonds with friends and family had a higher happiness level overall. That's no surprise since previous research has shown that having a good relationship with your friends can make you less stressed, healthier, and can help you cope with rejection.

But when he studied older participants, the only link between good relationships to health and happiness remained for people who reported having strong bonds with their friends later in life. 

And this was further proven in a second survey of nearly 7,500 people, in which Chopick found that people who had healthy bonds with close friends were happier than those who didn't. If they reported toxic relationships with their friends, the survey found they had a higher rate of chronic illness. 

Studies have previously shown that good friends make you happier because their happiness is contagious, they keep it real with you by cutting the chit-chat, and that they can make you happier than having more money. 

So, while more research is needed to see just how far the good will of friendship can really benefit you, it doesn't hurt to do something nice for your friends today. It just may be good for your health. 

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