Stay Happy To Achieve Heart-Healthy Life!

Stress can be harmful to our body. Why is this so?

When one is under stress, the level of stress hormone will rise. It is this hormone that may lead to many medical conditions, range from minor disorders like digestion and headaches to major medical complications such as heart and liver diseases.

A recent study of nearly 3,000 healthy British adults, conducted by University College London and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that those who were in happy moods had lower levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a 'stress' hormone that, when chronically elevated, may contribute to high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and dampened immune function, among other problems.

Happier people tend to be in better health than those who are persistently stressed, hostile or pessimistic. This is the belief of many researchers though the actual reasons are still unclear. One possibility is that happier people will lead more healthful lifestyle but unfortunately, not all studies can prove this to be true. This has prompted that research team of the current study to search for more direct biological links between positive states and health.

As reported in the study, women who had more positive emotions had lower blood levels of 2 proteins that are responsible for widespread inflammation in the body. It is believed that over time, chronic inflammation could contribute to a range of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

According to the researchers, the current findings support the evidence that happiness and other positive emotions are associated with biological responses that are health-protective. 2,874 healthy men and women between ages of 50 and 74 were included in the study. 6 samples of saliva of these participants were collected over the duration of 1 day so that their cortisol levels were measured. After taking each sample, the moods of these participants were also recorded. The moods were divided into 3 categories: happy, excited or content. Then, on a separate day, the researchers measured participants' levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, two markers of inflammation in the body.

Even taking into account of other factors such as age, weight, smoking and income, the researchers still found that men and women who reported happier moods had lower average cortisol levels over the course of the day. But interestingly, different results of the 2 proteins were found on men and women. For women only, positive emotions were related to lower levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6. The reason behind this is unknown.

The findings on cortisol confirm the results of earlier, smaller studies. Nevertheless, the results on C reactive protein and interleukin 6 are new. Nonetheless, these findings do suggest another biological process linking happiness with reduced biological vulnerability.

Although the study reveals happier people are healthier people, one should realize that it is not easy to make someone become happier. Why?

This is simply because people's mood states are very complex. They are not only a matter of heredity but also dependent on the social relationships and fulfilment in life. While researchers are searching ways to help people happier, perhaps we should try to recognize things that make us feel good and truly satisfied with our lives so that we can spend more time doing these things. Hopefully, this may help us achieve heart-healthy life!

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