Staying Optimistic "Keeps You Healthy"

Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine eius. (John 1:12)

The Telegraph reports staying optimistic keeps you healthy.

A research shows that when you are feeling more pessimistic you will be less able to fight off viruses.

A negative "glass-half-empty" attitude can damage your immune system.

Everything from marital spats to job stress can make us more likely to fall ill.

Scientists tracked the outlook of students over the course of a year and tested their immune system during that time.

Professor Suzanne Segerstrom, who led the research, said: "When people were feeling more optimistic, they also had rather stronger responses to an immune challenge".

Prof Segerstrom said: "I think that when people are feeling optimistic about a specific, important challenge they are facing, they may be less vulnerable to certain health problems, like viral infections".

Prof Segerstrom said: "When people felt more optimistic, they also felt more positive emotions, and this certainly accounted for part of the effect".

Her team recruited 124 first year law students and got them to complete five questionnaires and immunity checks over the course of a year.

As the students experienced classes and exams their optimism levels rose and fell and so did their immunity.

When optimism went up, so did their immune response. When pessimism crept in, the immune system weakened.

Prof Segerstrom said the strength of the link was greater than the effect calcium has on bone mass, or blood pressure medicine has on the risk of stroke.

Positive emotions caused by optimism are likely to improve the immune system, according to Prof Segerstrom.

Positive thinking does work.

"Et oratio fidei salvabit infirmum", James 5:15.