This post is by guest blogger Matthew Savage
How powerful is the human mind and what is the evidence for its impact on our physiology?
A link between mind and body has been discussed for decades, nevertheless many of us are still sceptical about the power of our thoughts on physical well-being. The current evidence suggests that the way we think and perceive the world has a significant impact on our physiology. According to recent studies our mindset can alter our immune system, prevent us from having surgery or even make us live longer.
Happiness and Longevity
One of the first longitudinal studies looking at the relationship between happiness and longer lives suggests that the risk of death over a two year period among individuals who were unhappy was 14% higher than those who reported being very happy (Lawrence, Roger, & Wadsworth, 1982). Further support for aforementioned association was provided by a study carried out by Dr Laura Kubzansky, co-director of the Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard School of Public Health. According to her research involving 70,000 nurses, those who were more optimistic lived on average 15% longer lives than their least optimistic counterparts. With that in mind, how can we explain this observed association? Let’s look at some current evidence.
- Happier people tend to have:
- Lower heart rate and cortisol levels
- Exercise more
- Smoke less
- Better coping strategies
- More supportive networks
A link between optimism and higher engagement in health behaviours is unquestionably bidirectional. If we feel happier, we are more likely to exercise more, eat healthier diets, apply more effective coping strategies and get socially involved. On the other hand, our health status, health behaviours and social support make us happier and more optimistic individuals, which in turn may stimulate further helpful behaviours and increases willingness for self-care. Therefore, the message seems highly optimistic. Let’s start believing that good things will happen to us, and we will live longer and healthier lives.
Positivity and the Immune System
Interestingly, our state of mind has also been shown to have an impact on our immune system, which can provide a further explanation for the link between happiness and longevity. A study by Cohen (2003) has revealed that happier individuals were three times less likely to develop common colds or chest infections compared to their less happy counterparts. What is more, it was shown that a positive mindset was associated with a higher production of antibodies when exposed to a vaccine, a biological marker of an efficient immunological response (Marsland, Cohen, Rabin & Manuck, 2006). Additionally, although, a relationship between how optimistic we are and the way our immune system works may seem bizarre, if we look at this issue closer, we can identify mechanisms by which an association is created.
For instance, depressed individuals were shown to have:
- Higher levels of cortisol
- Lower levels of antibodies when exposed to vaccine
Cortisol, a glucocorticoid known as a stress hormone, plays a significant role in our inflammatory processes. One of its main functions is to reduce inflammation, which in short-term is essential to maintain homeostasis, however longer term exposure can lead to a significantly supressed immune system. This in turn increases susceptibility to colds and other illnesses.
DNA and Placebo Effect
If we examine this issue deeper, we can find evidence that the way we think influences our DNA. Dr Elizabeth Blackburn, a molecular biologist at the University of California discovered that our mindset affects the length of our telomeres (the chunks of chromosomes that act as protective caps). Shorter telomeres are linked to various health conditions ranging from lung conditions to heart disease. Blackburn (2017) examined telomeres of mothers caring for children with long-term health conditions and discovered that the longer they had been caring for the child (under longer periods of stress) the shorter their telomeres were. However, there is also a positive message to be taken. According to Blackburn, we can boost our telomerase level (an enzyme that fights against the shortening of telomeres) for instance by an engagement in a regular meditation. Backburn, a Nobel Prize winner, believes that the boost was indirectly associated with the practice of meditation. According to her, regular meditation increases the sense of well-being, which in turn leads to higher level of telomerase (Blackburn, 2017). Therefore, it can be suggested that any method of improving our well-being has the potential of improving our DNA. Nevertheless, we need further research to fully comprehend the role of health behaviours on our DNA and to assess the aforementioned suggestion.
The power of our minds was also supported by research investigating placebo effects (Kirsch, 2019; Hashmi et al., 2012; Klinger, Kothe, Schmitz, Kamping, & Flor, 2017; Wolf & Buckwalter, 2006). Simply by making someone believe that a drug/surgery will help them, evidence suggests that we can heal chronic pain, decrease depression and anxiety levels and achieve surgical miracles without any involvement of active ingredient or surgical scalpel. However, how can we address ethical issues associated with placebo effect? There is still a long way to fully comprehend the effect of deception on individuals’ health and its applicability in medical treatments.
Summary
The current research provides us with fascinating findings and reveals more and more, support for the link between our thoughts and physical health. Optimistic individuals may benefit from more efficient biological responses to emotional distress and infections, but they also tend to engage in more healthy behaviours. This in turn predisposes them for longer and healthier lives. On the other hand, a relationship between poor mental health and poor physical health may seem worrying. Nevertheless, it would be fair to suggest, that a possibility to change our physicality by altering our way of thinking, is highly promising. Therefore, let’s take control over our lives, find ways of caring for ourselves and others and start believing that we can change our future, simply by improving our mindset.
About Matt Savage
Matthew Savage has an MSc in Psychology, is a qualified personal trainer, and has worked within the field of cognitive rehabilitation for 5 years. He is an FA qualified football coach, with a keen interest in moral behaviour and wellbeing within team sports.
References:
Blackburn, E. (2017). The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer. London: Orion Spring
Cohen, S., Apler, C.M., Doyle, W.J., Treanor, J.J., Turner, R.B. (2007). Positive emotional style predicts resistance to illness after experimental exposure to rhinovirus or influenza a virus. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68(6), 809-815.
Cohen, S., Doye, W.J., Turner, R.B., Alper, C.M., & Skoner, D.P. (2003). Emotional style and susceptibility to the common cold. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 809-815.
Hashmi, J.A, Baria, A.T, Baliki, M.N, Huang, L., Schnitzer, T.J, & Apkarian, A.V (2012). Brain networks predicting placebo analgesia in a clinical trial for chronic back pain. Pain, 153(12), 2393–2402.
Kirsch, I. (2019). Placebo Effect in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10(407), 1-9.
Klinger, R., Kothe, R., Schmitz, J., Kamping, S., & Flor, H. (2017). Placebo effects of a sham opioid solution: A randomized controlled study in patients with chronic low back pain. Pain, 158(10), 1893–1902.
Lawrence, E.M., Rogers, R.G., & Wadsworth, T (1982). Happiness and Longevity in the United States. Social Science and Medicine, 145 (2), 115-119.
Marsland, A.L., Cohen, S., Rabin., B.S., & Manuck, S.B. (2006). Trait positive affect and antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination. Brain, behavior and immunity, 20(3), 261-269.
Steptoe, A., O’Donnell, K., Marmot, M., & Wardle, J. (2008). Positive affect, psychological well-being, and good sleep. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64(4), 409-415.
Steptoe, A., & Wardle, J. (2005). Positive affect and biological function in everyday life. Neurobiology and aging, 1(1), 108-112.
Wolf, B.R., & Buckwalter, J.A. (2006). Randomized Surgical Trials and "Sham" Surgery: Relevance to Modern Orthopaedics and Minimally Invasive Surgery. The Iowa Orthopaedic Journal, 26(), 107-111.