Here's How Often Science Says You Should See Your Friends

We’ve written before about the health benefits of socialising , especially when it comes to potentially helping to prevent the development of dementia .

But it’s likely more than just a brain booster. Science suggests hanging out with your loved ones and having a strong social network may make you live longer , have a healthier heart , and even diversify your gut bacteria .

In fact, when looking at a meta-analysis of 148 studies on the subject, Scientific American said that “by the study’s numbers, interpersonal social networks are more crucial to physical health than exercising or beating obesity.”

They compared hanging out regularly to giving up a 15-a-day smoking habit (whoa).

Unlike exercise recommendations , though, we aren’t given a firm figure on how often we shoul