Kindness can do more than regular exercise. It turns out that charitable activities, whether helping others or making small donations, can not only warm the soul, but also improve physical health.
Newspapers began writing about Betty Low when she was 96 years old. Despite her advanced age, she was still volunteering at a hospital cafe in Salford, a suburb of Manchester. She served coffee, washed dishes and chatted with patients. Then Lou turned 100. “She’s still working,” the papers wrote. Then she turned 102, then 104, and the newspapers continued to marvel. Even at 106, Lou worked in a cafe once a week, despite her failing eyesight.
Low told reporters that she continued to work in a cafe after most people would have preferred to settle down and stay at home in retirement because she was convinced that such work helped her stay healthy. And she was probably right. Science shows that altruistic behavior-from volunteering and giving to random acts of kindness in everyday life-contributes to well-being and longevity.
For example, research shows that volunteering reduces the risk of early death by 24% – about the same as eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, according to some studies. In addition, these individuals are less likely to have elevated blood sugar levels or inflammatory processes that lead to heart disease. They also spend 38% less time in the hospital compared to those who do not participate in charitable activities. According to a study based on data from the Gallup World Poll, the health benefits of volunteering appear to be seen in all corners of the globe, from Spain and Egypt to Uganda and Jamaica.
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Of course, it may be that people who are healthier to begin with are more likely to be able to do charitable work. For example, if you have arthritis, you probably don’t want to work in a cafeteria. “There are studies that say people with good health are more likely to volunteer, but because scientists know this, we statistically control for this factor in our research,” says Sarah Konrat, a psychologist and philanthropy researcher at Indiana University. Even taking into account the change in volunteers’ good health, participation in charitable activities still has a significant impact on our well-being.
In addition, several randomized laboratory experiments shed light on the biological mechanisms by which helping others can improve our health. In one such experiment in Canada, high school students were divided into two groups: some were sent to help younger students for two months, while others waited for their turn to help. Four months later, long after the experiment had ended, the differences between the two groups of teenagers were clearly visible…in their blood. High school students who actively taught younger children had lower cholesterol levels and lower levels of inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 in their blood, which not only prevents cardiovascular disease but also helps fight viral infections.
Of course, it is not easy to volunteer during a pandemic. However, Konrat believes that it is possible to make a difference in health in the virtual space if the primary motivation is truly to help others. She also recommends doing virtual charity work with friends, as research shows that the social aspect of charity work is important for overall well-being.
It is interesting to note that not only the results of formal participation in charitable activities, but also random acts of kindness are registered in the blood. Participants in a California study who were asked to perform simple acts of kindness, such as buying coffee for strangers, showed reduced activity of leukocyte genes associated with inflammatory processes. This is beneficial because chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
And when we put people in an MRI scanner and ask them to act altruistically, we can see changes in how their brains respond to pain. In one of the most recent experiments, volunteers had to make various decisions, including whether to donate money, while receiving a mild electric shock to their hands. The results were clear – the brains of those who donated responded less to pain. And the more the experimenters saw their actions as helpful, the more resistant they became to pain. Similarly, giving blood voluntarily seems less painful than giving blood for analysis, although in the former case the needle may be twice as thick.
Spontaneous acts of kindness can do much more than put a smile on someone else’s face. There are countless other examples of the positive health effects of both kindness and financial contributions. For example, grandparents who regularly care for their grandchildren have a 37% lower risk of death than those who do not. According to one analytical study, this is more than can be achieved through regular physical exercise. At the same time, it is assumed that grandparents do not completely replace parents (although, as we know, taking care of grandchildren often requires considerable physical effort, especially when it comes to very young children). On the other hand, spending money on others rather than on oneself can lead to improved hearing, better sleep, and lower blood pressure, with an effect comparable to that of new blood pressure medications. Giving money to charity can be a good way to build muscle strength. In one experiment, participants who donated to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) were able to grip a hand exerciser for 20 seconds longer than those who did not part with their money. So if you want to try your hand at arm wrestling, bring your checkbook.
Tristen Inagaki, a neurobiologist at the University of San Diego, says it is not surprising that kindness and altruism affect physical health. “As a species, humans are extremely social, and we have better health when we are connected, and giving is part of that connection,” she says. Inagaki studies our charity system – a network of brain regions associated with both behavior and health. This system probably evolved to facilitate the rearing of infants, who are unusually helpless by mammalian standards, and later was probably used to help other humans as well. Part of the system consists of reward areas in the brain, such as the septal area and the ventral striatum in the basal part of the end brain (i.e., its front part) – the same areas that “light up” when you win the lottery or play a slot machine. By linking parental responsibility to the reward system, nature has tried to ensure that people do not run away from their constantly screaming infants. Neurovisual research by Inagaki and her colleagues shows that these areas of the brain function even when we are supporting loved ones. In addition to promoting child care, evolution has also linked it to a reduction in stress levels. When we act kindly, or even just reflect on our past kindness, activity in the brain’s fear center, the amygdala, decreases. This may also be related to parenting. It may seem illogical that caring for children reduces stress: any new parent will tell you that caring for a baby is far from a vacation by the sea. But research shows that when animals hear the whimpering of their own kind, the activity of their amygdala decreases, and the same happens to humans when they are shown a photograph of their child. Inagaki explains that in order to truly help others, the activity of the brain’s fear center should decrease. “If their stress causes you to be afraid, you are unlikely to be able to even approach them, let alone help them,” she says.
In the U.S. and Australia, many people are putting stuffed animals on their windows to give children a little distraction during the pandemic. All of this has a direct impact on health. Inagaki explains that the caregiver system – the amygdala and reward areas – is linked to our sympathetic nervous system, which is involved in regulating blood pressure and inflammatory response. As a result, caring for loved ones can improve heart and vascular health and help you live longer. Scientists have found that teens who volunteer their time to charity have lower levels of two markers of inflammation – interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. It was also possible to trace the association of both markers with severe outcomes in Covid-19-infected individuals. This suggests that helping others in need may be particularly effective during the pandemic, and not just a way to lift the spirits of those in captivity. In fact, research has not yet been done on the relationship between charitable activities and protection against Covid-19. And it is important to remember that contact with other people potentially increases the risk of infection and transmission of the virus.
And what if you are not naturally inclined toward philanthropy? Empathy, a trait closely associated with volunteerism and generosity, is inherited – about one-third of the depth of our ability to empathize depends on our genes. However, Konrat does not believe that a low level of empathy is a condemnation from birth. “We are also born with different athletic potential; some of us find it easier to build muscles, while others find it harder, but everyone has muscles, and if you exercise, you can build them,” she says. “Research shows that we can all increase our level of empathy, regardless of our starting level.” Some exercises only take a few seconds. For example, you can try to see the world from another person’s perspective for a few moments every day. Or you could practice mindfulness meditation. Caring for pets and reading emotionally charged books are perfect pastimes during a lockdown, as they also help increase empathy.
In the first six months of 2020, Britons gave £800 million ($1.05 billion) more to charity than in the same period in 2019. The situation is similar in other countries. According to one survey, nearly half of Americans visited their elderly or sick neighbors in the days prior to the survey. In Germany, the coronavirus brought people closer together – if in February 2020 41% said that people do not care about others, by the beginning of the summer this indicator had dropped to 19%. Americans and Australians put teddy bears in windows to cheer up children. French florist Muriel Marsenak arranged 400 bouquets on the cars of medical personnel in Perpignan. Research shows that such kindness not only warms our hearts, but also helps us stay healthier for longer. “Sometimes just focusing on others is really beneficial to our health,” says Inagaki.
I’m sorry, but you have not provided any Russian text to be translated into English. Could you please provide the Russian text you would like me to translate? Marta Zaraska – author of Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100. You can read the original article on the BBC Future website.