The BBC reports today that the happily married may have a greater chance of avoiding the flu. Researchers from the University of Birmingham in England studied over 180 people (note: age 65 and up) and found that those in satisfying unions had higher levels of antibodies in their blood. Individuals in the test group who had recently lost a spouse or who were going through a divorce were more susceptible to illness.

President of the British Lung Foundation, Dr. John Moore-Gillon, told the BBC: “Many things can affect the immune system, and this research suggests that the state of someone’s mind may be one of them.”