In the quest for better health, people turn to doctors, self-help books, herbal supplements and a plethora of other traditional and non-traditional ideas. But we may be overlooking one of the most powerful weapons that could help us fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: our friends and the groups surrounding us!

Researchers are paying more and more attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health:

• A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a circle of friends beyond just relatives and children were 22% less likely to die during the study period than those without a network of friends.
• Last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.
• A 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60% in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight.

"In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn't terribly appreciated," said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Caroline, Greensboro. "Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships."

Researchers recently studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone. The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill, and the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared. "People with stronger friendship networks feel there is someone they can turn to," said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center for gerontology at Virginia Tech. "The constant message of these studies is that friends make your life better."

Sometimes its not only having friends that increases our wellness but also doing things in groups. Scientists at the University of Oxford recently studied endorphin production in a group of rowers, both when they exercised alone and when they trained together as a team. Results showed sportsmen have a significantly higher tolerance to pain after exercising in a group than they did after exercising alone - suggesting that group workouts led to a greater production of feel good endorphins. "These results and previous research has shown synchronized physical activities such as activities like dancing, laughing, making music and many religious activities increase happiness and promote bonding," said Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University.

A 2006 study of 3000 nurses with breast cancer found that women without close friends were four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends. The proximity and the amount of contact with a friend wasn't associated with survival - just having friends was protective.

Finally, a new survey on aging from the Pew Research Center tells us that as people age, their social networks shrink. But while having fewer social outlets may negatively influence health, the intensity and emotional connection of the remaining relationships increases with age, which may help compensate for fewer social ties. Still, a friend of PSN commented, at age 97, when asked about her vibrant mental and emotional health, "I've found it's important to keep making younger friends." That's the attitude!

The moral of the research and our story: it's never too late to make new friends; it's always a good ideas to get our friends involved in mutually beneficial activities; when you have a friend or friends, share as much as you can, as best as you can. The Beatles told us 40 years ago, "You get by with a little help from your friends."