Science-Backed

Health Benefits
of Giving

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Science-Backed Health Benefits of Giving

People give their things or time to others for many reasons. Some do it for altruistic
reasons while others do it for tax benefits. Little do they realize that generosity may also
have health benefits, as some studies suggest.
Here are some of the ways giving may be good for the health:
Lowering blood pressure
The more people give, the better their cardiovascular health will become, according
to a study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. People who provided
social support had lower blood and arterial pressure than those who did not. In addition,
those who tend to support others experienced greater social support and self-esteem than
those with lower tendencies.
Making people live longer
A study noted that frequent givers would most likely live longer. A research from the
American Journal of Public Health revealed that those give often would less likely
experience stress, thus lowering mortality risk. On the other hand, those who do not offer
help may not only have stress but also 30% increased mortality risk.

Reducing stress
People who give social support will more likely be less stressful in life. In a
study published on the journal, Public Library of Science, people who were
generous experienced less stress compared to those who made stingy offers.
Researchers hypothesized that the guilt of making small offers contributed to the
increase in stress.
Enhances the mood
Those who give are more likely to be in good mood, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Oregon proved through functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) that people who gave voluntarily experienced an increase
in brain activation. This might explain why people receive a warm glow when
they donate something for a cause.

Increasing physical and emotional wellbeing

A research revealed that making donations spurred by tax subsidies might
positively contribute to a persons physical and emotional wellbeing. A recently
published study in the Journal of Economic Psychology suggested that a 1% increase in
a tax subsidy for charitable giving is associated with a 0.1% increase in the health
index.
These studies merely prove that there are more benefits in giving than just
getting tax benefits or removing unwanted things. Overall, givers will more likely enjoy
living a healthy life longer than those who refuse to share what they have with those
who have less.

Resources:
http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/june2007/06222007altruist.htm
http://www.wsj.com/articles/does-charitable-giving-lead-to-better-health-astudy-finds-a-link-1422849618
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876006001917
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141028101625.htm
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