This number has been dubbed “Dunbar’s Number” after the scientist Robin Dunbar, who found an association between primate brain size and average social group size (and don’t forget, you’re a primate). Dunbar’s Number has been translated into the number of people you wouldn’t feel embarrassed inviting to join you for a coffee (or green juice) if you happened to bump into them in a cafe. Neuroscience research shows that being socially connected protects the brain against the risk of developing dementia. Neuroscientists often talk about “cognitive reserve.” Cognitive reserve refers to how resilient the mind is to damage or decline of the brain. Think of it as a savings account for the functionality of our brain. It’s the ability to build up a resistance to mental decline and disease. Having a healthy social life naturally involves thinking, feeling, sensing, reasoning and intuition. These mentally stimulating activities build up our reserve of healthy brain cells, and promote the formation of new connections, or synapses, between neurons. Those good friends of yours are worth nurturing, because friends will help you live longer, too. A meta-analysis of 148 studies, including 300,000 people studied over seven years, found that people with strong social relationships had an increased likelihood of survival (yep, they were less likely to die) than those with weaker social relationships. Here’s how loneliness and lack of social connection compares to more well-known risk factors: Another of the authors, Professor Timothy Smith, points out that modern conveniences and technology can lead some people to think that social networks aren’t necessary. “We take relationships for granted as humans — we’re like fish that don’t notice the water,” Smith said. “That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health.”
