Can Being Grateful Help With Longevity?
Death may be inevitable, but that hasn’t stopped health researchers from looking for ways to put it off as long as possible. Their newest candidate is something that’s free, painless, doesn’t taste bad and won’t force you to break a sweat: Gratitude. A new study of nearly 50,000 older women found that the stronger their feelings of gratitude, the lower their chances of dying over the next three years.
The results are sure to be appreciated by those who are naturally inclined toward giving thanks. Those who aren’t may be grateful to learn that with practice, they might be able to enhance their feelings of gratitude and reap the longevity benefits as well. “It’s an exciting study,” said Joel Wong, a professor of counseling psychology at Indiana University who researches gratitude interventions and practices and wasn’t involved in the new work.
Mounting evidence has linked gratitude with a host of benefits for mental and physical health. People who score higher on measures of gratitude have been found to have better biomarkers for cardiovascular function, immune system inflammationand cholesterol. They are more likely to take their medications, get regular exercise, have healthy sleep habits and follow a balanced diet.
Excerpted from the Los Angeles Times
