Another study supports that happiness is good for your health

Scientists and statisticians have long known that happier people tend to be in better health than the unhappy--as defined as those persistently stressed, hostile or pessimistic. But the specific reasons for improved health have been harder to nail down. Is it simply correlation, do happy people have healthier habits & lifestyles, or is there some yet undiscovered biological link for the health benefits of happiness?

In a new study lead by Dr. Andrew Steptoe of University College London, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (and reported in Reuters), evidence of a biological connection was uncovered. The subjects:

"...who reported more positive emotions had lower blood levels of two proteins that indicate widespread inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is believed to contribute to a range of ills over time, including heart disease and cancer."

...those who reported upbeat moods had lower levels of cortisol -- a "stress" hormone that, when chronically elevated, may contribute to high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and dampened immune function, among other problems.

The study's participants, who ranged between 50 and 74, had cortisol levels tested several times each day and recorded how they were feeling at that time. In general, the men and women who had more frequent and consistent happier moods had lower average cortisol levels. Factors such as age, weight, smoking and income were all isolated.

But if happier people are healthier people, the more difficult question remains: How do you become happier? At LifeTwo this is not a rhetorical question and we have a week's worth of posts on how to be happier--both immediately and over the long-term.