Love gurus and relationship experts have more than a few theories on what makes a happy, healthy and secure relationship.

Some think saying ‘thank you’ is the answer, others say commitment is number one and there's a few researchers who believe height could have a bearing on how things pan out.* However, recent research suggests that there’s another important factor and that is, being friends with your other half. Spotted on Women’s Health, we definitely agree with this one and the results are there to back it up. A study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, established that in comparison to couples who aren’t close friends, couples who believe they’re friends as well as lovers are more in love, have better sex lives and are more dedicated to each other. Couples who were best friends said they had better love and sex lives The study surveyed 184 people, who were part of a couple for 16 months or more, asking them to value certain things about their relationships. These included companionship, friendship, security, sharing new experiences with their significant others and sex. People who said friendship and companionship were of utmost importance also had high results for the love and sexual happiness side of things. Obviously, there are a lot of factors when it comes to a ‘good’ relationship but it’s clear that having someone who you can talk to about anything and have a laugh with is high up on the list of desirables. *We know that one sounds beyond bonkers but hey, we didn’t do the research.