Can Joy Improve Health?

Joy and happiness, often called ‘positive affect’ in studies, has long been known to increase overall wellness. Positive affect is defined as the experience of pleasurable emotions such as joy, contentment, and enthusiasm. Only recently have researchers begun to examine the benefits to various disease states, since  most of the focus to date has been on depression, with over 20 times more studies being done on it, than on happiness.

Impact on Physical Health:

Numerous studies suggest that individuals with higher levels of positive affect show better physical health outcomes. This includes lower rates of chronic illnesses, improved cardiovascular health, and stronger immune function. Potential biological pathways linking positive affect to health, include hormonal regulation, reduced inflammation, and enhanced cellular repair mechanisms:

• Positive affect has been associated with changes in the number of immune system cells, and also with the function of the system. Increased cellular immune competence has been linked with positive affect (8).
• increases in secretory IgA (S-IgA) responses to antigen challenge (9), and more helper T cells (10)
• Improved survival for diabetes patients (1), as well as improved glycemic control (2).
• Happiness indicators predicted survival in cancer patients (3). Stress-related psychosocial factors predict cancer incidence (4).
• Positive emotions and wellbeing may influence on cardiovascular activity via parasympathetic activation – “daily positive well-being was associated with reduced cardiovascular reactivity to negative emotional arousal.”(6)
• One study found a “rise in activity in the 0.08–0.15 Hz waveband (commonly termed low frequency HRV) during positive emotion induction…which may be indicative of heightened parasympathetic activity” (5).
• Cortisol levels tend to be lower when people have greater positive affect (7).

Mental and Behavioral Health Benefits:

Overall cognitive wellbeing may be improved by regularly increasing one’s joy in life. Positive affect is correlated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (11). Individuals experiencing higher positive affect are more resilient to stress and exhibit better overall mental well-being. Positive affect influences health behaviors such as increased physical activity, healthier eating habits, and better sleep patterns. These behaviors in turn contribute to the overall improvement of health status.

How to Cultivate Joy?

One of the best ways to improve happiness and reduce stress response is to think more about happy things, find people, animals and nature to care for, and socialize as much as possible with others who bring you joy. For many people, addressing nutritional issues may be the biggest missing link in their path to optimal happiness. Studies have found that B vitamins are critical to mental wellbeing, with some studies finding that over 80% of patients admitted to a mental ward being deficiency in 5 or more B vitamins. Whether you have a nutritonal component to your mental wellness or not, the benefits to positive thinking, joyful interaction and appreciation of the wonders of life, can go a long way toward helping mutiple physiological and mental health challenges. 

Product Spotlight:

B Vitamin Complex

References

1. Moskowitz et al. 2008.

2. Nefs et al. 2012

3. Prinsloo et al. 2015

4. Chida et al. 2008

5. McCraty R, Atkinson M, et al. The effects of emotions on short-term power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability. Am J Cardiol. 1995;76(14):1089–1093.

6. Ong AD, Allaire JC. Cardiovascular intraindividual variability in later life: the influence of social connectedness and positive emotions. Psychol Aging. 2005;20(3):476–485.

7. Jacobs N, Myin-Germeys I, et al. A momentary assessment study of the relationship between affective and adrenocortical stress responses in daily life. Biol Psychol. 2007;74(1):60–66.

8. Lutgendorf SK, Reimer TT, et al. Effects of housing relocation on immunocompetence and psychosocial functioning in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001;56(2):M97–M105.

9. Stone AA, Neale JM, et al. Daily events are associated with a secretory immune response to an oral antigen in men. Health Psychol. 1994;13(5):440–446.Segerstrom SC, Taylor SE, et al. Optimism is associated with mood, coping, and immune change in response to stress. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(6):1646–1655.

10. Segerstrom SC, Taylor SE, et al. Optimism is associated with mood, coping, and immune change in response to stress. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(6):1646–1655.

11. Dockray, S., & Steptoe, A. (2010). Positive affect and psychobiological processes. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 69-75.