Spending time with your loved ones usually reload your batteries and feel good. But when certain relationships become toxic, whether it be family members, friends or colleagues, they may have deep effects, not only on our mental health, but also, it is new, on our biological aging. A recent study published on the scientific platform Medrxiv Bring this month of July a new lighting: toxic people could literally make us age faster.
Social ties: a key factor of longevity
For several years, researchers have been interested in the role of social ties in global health and longevity. It is well established that a good social network can promote a longer and better health. But the study by a team of American researchers goes further: it is specifically interested in the effects of negative social ties, these relationships that poison everyday life.
The researchers analyzed the data of 2,232 participants, focusing on their close social networks. They asked them, for example, how often some people around them returned their lives difficult. People designated as disruptive, even occasionally, were classified as “harassleurs” or “toxic links”.
One of the most striking results of this study is the frequency of toxic relationships. On average, one in four members of a social network is perceived as harasser. And almost 60 % of participants say they have at least one in their lives. This underlines how common this phenomenon is and often underestimated.
A measurable impact on DNA
The originality of this research lies in its biological approach. Scientists have studied the influence of toxic relationships on epigenetics, that is to say the way in which our environment changes the expression of our genes. For this, they measured the methylation of DNA, a precise marker of organic aging, from saliva samples.
The observation is clear: the presence of toxic people in the entourage is associated with an accelerated aging of 0.5 %, about 2.5 months more than the expected organic age. And the more harassors in the social network of an individual, the more important the impact. In those of which more than half of the network are made up of toxic people, biological aging is much more marked.
Stress, inflammation and mental health
The effects of these deleterious relationships do not stop at DNA. The study also reveals an increase in levels of inflammation, a weakening of the immune system, as well as an increased risk of depression, anxiety and multimorbidity (presence of several chronic diseases). These negative social ties are thus considered to be factors of chronic stress with sustainable consequences.
Interesting fact: not all negative relationships are equal. The ambivalent relations, those which oscillate between support and conflict, prove even even more harmful than relationships only hostile. This type of link generates constant emotional instability, which seems to accelerate aging more.
Should we flee toxic people to stay young?
But then, should we flee these people … for your health? The conclusion of researchers is clear: negative social ties are not harmless. They affect not only our mood or our punctual well-being, but also our physical health and our longevity. Detaching itself from a toxic relationship could thus allow, in the literal sense, to gain a few months of youth. And above all, you simplify your life.
A good argument that can, perhaps, open your eyes. If you recognize yourself in this situation, do not hesitate to talk to a health professional. A doctor, a psychologist or a therapist can accompany you to understand, manage or end a harmful relationship.