Christmas is a terrific opportunity for me to get together with friends and family, exchange gifts, and overindulge in food and drink, but I also enjoy singing carols, attending church, and reflecting on God.
Although I come from a long line of Christian missionaries, some of whom sacrificed their lives for their faith, I must admit that I am an agnostic.
I do believe, however, that the world’s major religions have much to teach us about how to live a happy and long life. And there is abundant scientific data to support this.
In 1999, for instance, researchers at the University of Colorado examined data obtained from 28,000 individuals as part of the National Health Interview Survey, which has monitored the health of Americans since 1957. As part of this poll, respondents were asked if and how frequently they attended religious services.
People who reported attending a church, mosque, or synagogue at least once per week lived, on average, seven years longer than those who never attended.
Researchers at Ohio State University combed through the obituaries of more than 1,000 persons published on newspaper websites between August 2010 and August 2011 for a study published in 2018 and titled “Does Religion Stave Off the Grave?”
They discovered that, on average, those whose obituaries stated a religious affiliation lived 5.64 years longer than those who did not.
Why? According to research, religious individuals, including my 93-year-old mother, tend to drink and smoke less and live healthier lives overall.
They are also more likely to engage in volunteer work and to belong to a close-knit, supportive social circle, both of which minimize the risk of loneliness and depression.
However, according to Dr. Baldwin Way, an associate professor of psychology who helped design the obituary study, the amount of the longevity effect remains unexplained when these factors are considered.
Many religions advocate stress-relieving techniques that may improve health, such as gratitude, prayer, and meditation, according to his assessment.
In addition, studies indicate that experiencing awe, whether from being in a beautiful place or knowing you are in God’s presence, has a powerful influence on our immune system.
In 2015, the University of California conducted a study of 200 students and found that those who reported experiencing positive emotions, such as awe, had lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, proteins that can cause chronic inflammation and lead to health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
Notably, it appears that the good impacts of religion depend in part on a belief in a loving, beneficent deity.
In a 2011 research of over 100 HIV-positive patients conducted by the University of Miami, patients who viewed God as merciful and forgiving remained healthier for longer and had better immune cell counts than those who viewed God as judgemental and punishing.
Similarly, studies have demonstrated that those with religious views are less likely to experience despair and anxiety, in part because they provide purpose and hope. But when religious beliefs lead to emotions of guilt and failure, mental illness can result.
But what if, like me, you do not believe in God and attend church infrequently?
You may try something called “loving-kindness meditation” instead of praying, where you spend a few minutes each day remembering someone nice to you.
The goal is to sit quietly somewhere while meditating and thinking grateful thoughts about the individual.
Recently, Dr. Fuschia Sirois, who studies thankfulness at the University of Sheffield, told me, “People who often show gratitude are more resistant to worry and despair, and it can even help you live with chronic pain.”
If you’re not interested in meditation, you could try ‘Three Good Things’: Every night for a week, keep a notebook beside your bed and record three things that went well that day.
It can range from “I witnessed a beautiful sunset” to “I drank coffee with a friend.” Include as many specifics as possible and how this made you feel. Research indicates that this will boost your mood and sleep.
Or, you might just cultivate awe by going on a walk in a tranquil, green area and pausing to admire the world around you.
A study conducted in 2020 and published in the journal Emotion indicated that a weekly 15-minute “awe walk” helped improve pleasant emotions and reduce stress. Selfies taken during the course of the 12-week study revealed that the participants smiled more.
I wish you a joyful and grateful Christmas.
This year has been marked by world events of such immense significance that many medical advancements have been eclipsed; nonetheless, 2022 has also experienced some noteworthy medical advancements.
In January, for instance, the first successful pig-to-human heart transplant was reported. In the United States, 57-year-old David Bennett, who had a fatal heart illness, received a pig heart that had been genetically modified to be compatible with humans.
Because thousands of people die while waiting for a transplant, I believe this is a significant advancement. Unfortunately, David passed away two months after the operation, but his courage has demonstrated that this strategy is effective.
Then, in February, I wrote about an innovative Swiss technology that assisted paralyzed patients in regaining the ability to walk with the use of a frame.
The device activates nerve cells in the spinal cord, and the same Swiss researchers announced a few weeks ago that four out of nine patients implanted with comparable devices no longer need the devices to walk. It appears that after a few months of electrical stimulation “rebooted” certain nerve cells, which were now functioning independently.
This is excellent news, and there are preparations in place to perform larger trials in 2023.
The year has also been favorable for vaccine research. In their first year of use, Covid-19 vaccinations helped avoid approximately 20 million deaths, according to research published in the Lancet in June.
A couple of weeks ago, the pharmaceutical company Moderna revealed that a cancer vaccine it had produced, based on the mRNA technology used to create its Covid jab, had nearly halved the chance of skin cancer recurrence in 157 patients.
These individuals had melanomas, a very severe kind of skin cancer, but had a significant risk of getting new tumors due to cancer’s spread. Next year, Moderna intends to initiate a trial involving at least one thousand patients.
And despite my normal skepticism regarding “wonder” weight-loss pills, two medications appear to be effective without generating substantial negative effects.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide imitate the activities of glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone usually produced in our stomachs. This hormone makes you feel full after a meal by inhibiting hunger centers in the brain and slowing stomach emptying.
In July, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that patients who received weekly tripeptide injections for 18 months lost between 15 and 20 kg, compared to 3 kilograms for those who received a placebo injection. In December, research conducted by the University of Pittsburgh utilizing semaglutide on adolescents yielded comparable results.
I am a firm believer in attempting to reduce weight through dietary changes rather than medicine, but this is an impressive development.
I have pals whose idea of a good time is a five-mile run, but I detest jogging and only do it periodically because I know it’s healthy.
At no point do I get a runner’s high or anything other than pain. I have been tested and running produces hardly any production of feel-good hormones.
Recent research published in the journal Nature reveals that my gut flora may play a role in this.
Scientists from the United States examined the frequency and intensity with which 106 mice ran on an exercise wheel. The researchers then examined the composition of their gut microbiomes and found that the avid runners had greater numbers of two types of bacteria, Eubacterium rectale, and Coprococcus eutectic.
Investigations indicated that these microorganisms produce fatty acid amides, which stimulate the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brains of exercising individuals.
The goal is that this will lead to diet-based methods of boosting these exercise-loving bugs and getting individuals like me running — and enjoying it.
