Good emotions lower inflammation, study says

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Taking in culture or having a religious experience can to more than just make you feel good, it can actually make you physically healthier.
According to a new study published in the journal Emotion, these experiences and the emotions associated with them are linked to lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, signals that make the immune system work harder.
“Our findings demonstrate that positive emotions are associated with the markers of good health,” said study author Jennifer Stellar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto.
Cytokines serve an essential function in the immune system, rounding up cells to fight infection, disease, and trauma. However, constantly high levels of cytokines are linked to poorer health, and more specifically, to disorders as type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and clinical depression.
It’s been well-established that eating well and getting enough sleep leads to healthy levels of cytokines, but the new study is one of the first to look at how emotions are linked to these inflammation-causing proteins.
In two independent trials, over 200 young adult volunteers were asked if they had experienced positive emotions like amusement, awe, empathy, contentment, pleasure, love, and pride on that day. Next, gum and cheek tissue specimens were taken from participants. The researchers saw that that those who felt more of these positive emotions, especially awe, marvel, and amazement, had the lowest quantities of the inflammation-causing cytokine, Interleukin 6.
Along with autoimmune diseases, raised cytokines have been linked with depression, with a recent study showing that depressed volunteers had greater amounts of the cytokine TNF-alpha than non-depressed participants. Researchers have theorized that cytokines can obstruct more ‘positive’ hormones and neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine.
“That awe, wonder, and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests that the things we do to experience these emotions – a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art – has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy,” said study author Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist.
Stellar added that the study findings could indicate that, “awe is associated with curiosity and a desire to explore” as opposed to behavioral responses found in those with inflammation, “where individuals typically withdraw from others in their environment.”
The Toronto research noted that the study did not find a cause-and-effect relationship, meaning the team could not draw the conclusion that positive thoughts lead to lower cytokine levels.
“It is possible that having lower cytokines makes people feel more positive emotions, or that the relationship is bidirectional,” Stellar said.
A paper published back in September revealed that overweight individuals have higher levels of stress-induced inflammation than those within a healthy weight-range. The study was based on participants’ levels of Interleukin-6.
“We’ve known that overweight and obese individuals already have chronic, low grade inflammation,” said study author Nicolas Rohleder, a psychology professor from Brandeis University. “Now, it seems that when you add stress to the mix, it’s a double hit.”
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