Bounty

It may not ring true for every couple, but the old 'ball and chain' could actually be the secret to a long and stress-free life, experts say.

Scientists have found that despite the grumbles and moans of many married and long-term couples, the safety and comfort of a committed relationship has a "dampening" effect on the level of stress hormones that are produced during difficult situations.

By contrast, singletons are more likely to experience high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is released during so-called "fight or flight" situations, than their loved up friends and family.

To test the theory, both single and shacked-up students were placed in a situation which they believed would have a detrimental effect on their career prospects, in order to measure how stressed they became.

Professor Dario Maestripieri, whose findings are published in the journal Stress, said: "What we found is that marriage has a dampening effect on cortisol responses to psychological stress - and that is very new.

"These results suggest single and unpaired individuals are more responsive to psychological stress than married individuals, a finding consistent with a growing body of evidence showing that marriage and social support can buffer against stress."

Prof Maestripieri's findings support figures released by the Office for National Statistics, which show that married couples live longer and are healthier than lonely hearts.

Copyright Press Association 2010