Social Bonds Help Slow Cellular Aging and Support Longevity
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STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Developing strong, lifelong social bonds helps slow biological aging by influencing how your genes, immune system, and stress hormones function
People with higher “cumulative social advantage,” meaning consistent emotional support throughout life, show younger cellular profiles on aging clocks like GrimAge and DunedinPACE
Those with rich social connections have lower levels of inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration
Social isolation not only accelerates aging but also contributes to nutrient deficiencies, with lonely older adults showing lower intake of magnesium, potassium, vitamins B6 and C, and folate
Rebuilding connection, such as through community, shared meals, and meaningful daily interactions, restores biological balance, lowers inflammation, and supports longer, healthier living
When was the last time you truly spent time with other people — not just a quick text or a scroll through social media, but an actual conversation, a laugh, or a shared meal? According to new research, that kind of connection could be doing far more than lifting your mood. It might literally be slowing down how fast your body ages.
While you might think that this is about how many friends you have or how many parties you attend, this is something much deeper. Lifelong social bonds, whether through family, community, or faith-based groups, act almost like a buffer for your body, reducing the wear and tear that stress and time leave behind. The study found that people with deeper, more enduring relationships literally age more slowly at the cellular level.
Deep Relationships Literally Keep Your Cells Younger
A recent study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity — Health explored how your lifelong relationships influence the rate at which your body ages on a cellular level. The researchers aimed to investigate whether social ties over a person’s lifespan predict differences in biological aging, inflammation, and stress response.1
The researchers analyzed data from 2,117 adults across a range of ages and life backgrounds — These participants were part of the long-term Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, and included both healthy individuals and those living with chronic health conditions, with a mean age of 55.
Researchers examined what they called “cumulative social advantage” or CSA — This refers to how socially supported someone felt over time, from childhood through adulthood. According to Anthony Ong, a psychology professor at Cornell University, and the study’s first author:
“Cumulative social advantage is really about the depth and breadth of your social connections over a lifetime. We looked at four key areas: the warmth and support you received from your parents growing up, how connected you feel to your community and neighborhood, your involvement in religious or faith-based communities, and the ongoing emotional support from friends and family.”2
The researchers then measured biological aging using a person’s “epigenetic clocks” — These refer to molecular signatures that measure chemical markers on your DNA, revealing how fast your cells are aging.3 To determine these biological markers, they obtained urine and blood samples from the participants.
Social connections helped set back epigenetic clocks — The results showed that people with higher levels of CSA had slower biological aging and lower levels of inflammation than those who were socially isolated. Apparently, this long-term social advantage influences the body’s key regulatory systems that govern aging, specifically those involved in gene expression (epigenetic), inflammation, and hormone regulation (neuroendocrine) pathways.4
Two biological aging measures stood out — Known as GrimAge and DunedinPACE, these are among the most reliable predictors of how long you’ll live and how likely you are to develop age-related diseases. People who maintained wider, steadier social networks showed noticeably younger biological readings on both of these measures, meaning their bodies were aging more slowly at the cellular level.
Ong emphasizes that what’s striking about their study is the cumulative effect of these social connections. “It’s not just about having friends today; it’s about how your social connections have grown and deepened throughout your life. That accumulation shapes your health trajectory in measurable ways,” Ong said.
People with Stronger Social Connections Have Lower Levels of Inflammation
What sets this study apart from earlier research is that it treated social connection as a multidimensional construct. Unlike previous studies that focused on isolated factors, such as whether someone was married or how many friends they had, this study captured how early and late-life relationships interact and build over time.
This is important for your health, because it means your biology doesn’t just respond to what’s happening now. Instead, it integrates decades of experience, stacking them all together to shape your aging trajectory.
“Think of social connections like a retirement account. The earlier you start investing and the more consistently you contribute, the greater your returns,” Ong said.
“Our study shows those returns aren’t just emotional; they’re biological. People with richer, more sustained social connections literally age more slowly at the cellular level. Aging well means both staying healthy and staying connected — they’re inseparable.”5
To get a complete picture, the researchers didn’t stop at DNA — They also measured chronic inflammation — often called “inflammaging“ because of its ties to the aging process6 — using eight biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) — two key molecules that rise when your immune system is under stress.
Individuals with higher CSAs had lower amounts of interleukin-6 and CRP — This is vital, as having elevated IL-6 is linked to heart disease, diabetes, depression, and neurodegeneration. That means your relationships don’t just protect your heart metaphorically —
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