What is the healthiest type of happiness?

By Lisa Collier Cool Aug 14, 2013 78 Recommend

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by Lisa Collier Cool

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Happiness may have dramatically different effects on the immune system potentially raising or lowering disease riskdepending on the source of your

bliss, according to a groundbreaking new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the first study of its kind, scientists from UCLA and University of North Carolina compared the effects of two types of happiness on genes that influence immunecell activity. The team found intriguing differences between the effects of selfish pleasures and the joy that comes from helping others.

Spirituality and Good Deeds Boost the Immune System

The study, which included 80 healthy adults, found that those with high levels of eudaimonic well-beinghappiness sparked by a deep sense that your life has purpose and meaning (i.e., Mother Theresa)appeared to have the healthiest immune systems. Specifically, this group had strong expression of protective antiviral and antibody genes that could help their bodies fight off germs, and reduced expression of genes involved in inflammation, which has been linked to a wide range of health threats, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimers and even cancer. This fascinating study shows that spirituality, getting in touch with your passions, doing good deeds, and asking the deeper questionssuch as how you can make a difference in your community or the worldare good for your health, comments psychiatrist Daniel Amen, MD, author of Unleash the Power of the Female Brain. How to Train to Be a Superhero Stuntman

Selfish Pleasures Linked to Lower Resistance to Germs

People with high levels of hedonic well-beinghappiness stemming from selfgratification (i.e., some celebrities)had the opposite effect. Their immune systems had a gene-expression profile marked by high inflammation and low antiviral and antibody response. In fact, the study suggests that the immune-system effects of hedonic pleasure

a do-whatever-feels-good attitude towards lifemimicked those of chronic stress, reports Carole Lieberman, MD, a clinical faculty member at UCLAs Neuropsychiatric Institute who wasnt involved with the study. These immune system effects could reduce resistance to infections and increase the threat of developing chronic illnesses, adds Dr. Lieberman. People who are drawn to immediate self-gratification are typically seeking quick fixes for the issues in their lives, which may explain why happiness they get from hedonic pleasures had adverse effects on their immune system. In a statement, study researcher Steven Cole, a UCLA professor of medicine, noted that the findings about the two types of happiness suggest that, doing good and feeling good have very different effects on the human genome, even though they generate similar levels of positive emotion. 28 Tattoos Inspired by Depression and Recovery

How to Find Healthy Bliss

This research adds to the findings of an 80-year longevity study which reported that people with a dont worry, be happy attitude were more likely to die at a younger age from preventable diseases or accidents than those who worked hard and had a sense of purpose that they were passionate about, reports Dr. Amen. Drs. Amen and Lieberman recommend these steps to attaining and enjoying the healthiest type of joy: Volunteer. Helping others is good for both your mind and your body. One surprising health perk volunteers enjoy is reduced risk for high blood pressure, compared to non-volunteers, according to a new study published in Psychology and Aging. Additionally, a 2012 study also reported that people who volunteer regularly and frequently live longer, but only if their motives were genuinely altruistic. Perform more random acts of kindness. In a recent Stanford University

study, students were divided into 3 groups. One group was instructed to perform 5 random acts of kindness per week during the 6-week study and another to perform the 5 acts in a single day. A control group didnt get any instructions about kindness. While the study found that both groups that did good deeds felt happier than the control group, those who did acts of kindness in a single day enjoyed the greatest bliss. Donate to charity. As I reported recently, money can literally buy happiness, if you give it to charity. Research shows that in nearly every country around the world, people who contribute to worthy causes are more joyful than those who only spend on themselves. Buy a present for a friend. A Harvard study recently reported that buying a $5 gift for a friend or giving that sum in cash to a stranger elevates happiness.