According to a study of 3,000 British people, positive mood is accompanied by lower levels of cortisol , a "stress hormone" which, when chronically elevated, contributes to increasing blood pressure, promotes abdominal obesity, and alters blood pressure. immune function, among other problems.
The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology , also reveals that women who declare themselves happy show low levels of two proteins related to inflammation. An important detail considering that chronic inflammation seems to be behind diseases such as cancer or heart disease.
Scientists have long suspected that happy people are also the healthiest, although the causes were unclear. Professor Steptoe, who is responsible for the new research, says his results show for the first time that positive emotions elicit "healthy" biological responses .
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