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A number of studies have found that optimism helps the health of the body.

The Translation Bureau is a compilation team that focuses on science, business, workplace, life and other fields, focusing on foreign new technologies, new ideas, and new trends. .

Editor’s note: As the saying goes, “Laughter, a decade, less; a glimpse, white head.” The original title of this article is Optimists Live Longer, author Robert Roy Britt through a series of recent research findings, further confirming optimism The positive correlation between doctrine and health and longevity.

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According to the latest research on optimism, if you have always maintained an optimistic attitude, you may live longer. In addition, a positive and optimistic attitude also helps to improve the quality of sleep at night.

According to a recent study, the most optimistic group of women is 15% longer than the least optimistic group of women, and 50% of the possible performance is 85 years old. The most optimistic male group is 11% longer than the least optimistic male group, and 70% of the possible performance is 85 years old.

At the same time, the researchers also mentioned that the difference in the final experimental results of the different gender groups in the subjects was not obvious.

This research report is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For the experimental research data, 69,744 subjects were involved in the experiment for women, and the tracking time was 10 years. For male experiments, only 1,429 subjects were involved, and the tracking time was 30 years.

At the beginning of the study, the researchers were initially optimistic about all subjects.Evaluation. In addition, other information needed for the experiment was assessed, including basic personal information, health status, depression, and diet.

Some pessimists may think that this study does not reflect causality. Although their arguments are true, they are just one of many experiments that link optimism to health and longevity.

“We found that groups with higher optimism were at a lower risk of chronic disease or premature death.” Team member of the study, Boston University Health Care System Clinical Research Psychologist, Boston University Medicine Lewina Lee, assistant professor of psychiatry at the hospital, said.

However, Professor Li also mentioned that researchers do not know how optimism has a positive impact on human health, and it is not clear whether or vice versa, that is, whether health will in turn promote optimism. .

One of the key factors seems to be closely related to the body’s response to stress. Studies have shown that long-term stress can lead to the emergence of inflammation, which leads to a variety of diseases. According to Professor Li and her colleagues, maintaining an optimistic attitude can reduce stress; while holding pessimistic negative emotions can lead to long-term pressure, which in turn affects physical health.

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More sweet sleep, a healthier heart

According to a study published in the July 24 issue of Behavioral Medicine, the most optimistic group generally reflects relatively good sleep quality compared to pessimists. The time is also relatively long and it is not easy to sleep during the day. Among them, the proportion of insomnia among optimists is 74% lower than that of pessimists. A total of more than 3,500 subjects aged 32 to 51 participated in the experiment.

The researchers are still unclear how optimism affects sleep and then further benefits the body, but the first author of the study, Professor of the University of Illinois, Rosarb Hernan Rosalba Hernandez said, “Optimists are more inclined to actively participate in various problem-solving activities, to treat various stress events with a more optimistic attitude, thereby reducing their preparation.Anxiety or deep thought during sleep and sleep.

In addition, an experiment in 2015 also found that the most optimistic subjects aged 45 to 84 years old were based on a number of factors based on diet, daily activities, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. The proportion of healthy hearts is nearly double that of the least optimistic group.

Last year, researchers used a series of previous studies to discover and discover the relationship between optimism and heart health. According to one of the studies, the proportion of older women who are most optimistic, who died of heart disease, was 38% lower than the youngest women with the least optimism.

This summary study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In this report, it is also mentioned that optimists are more likely to develop healthy living habits, such as healthy eating and regular exercise. In addition, these groups are relatively healthier in terms of weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

According to Darwin Labarthe, a professor of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the first author of the study, the optimists are better. Manage emergency sources.

When other groups face an uncontrollable source of emergency, they change their goals and are more likely to have unhealthy diets, stop exercising, smoking, and other health-related behaviors. “These behaviors eventually lead to elevated levels of inflammation and heart health,” Professor La Pace said.

Professor La Paz also stated that the current level of research does not fully explain the causes and effects behind these actions. “But the answer to this question may be two-way, that is, a more optimistic attitude is good for good health, and a healthier body can promote a more optimistic attitude,” he said.

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Can you become an optimist?

Either optimism or pessimism has a certain “natural talent” factor.

1992A study of twins found that about 25% of the subjects were born with an optimistic attitude. However, this is not to say that a person’s mentality depends entirely on the “gift” of the parents. In the short term (a few days or weeks), one’s optimism may remain relatively stable, but in the long run (years), there may be emotional or mental ups and downs due to various experiences in life. .

In addition, age is also one of the factors. According to research earlier this year, optimism is very rare among young people in their 20s. However, after the age of 30 or even 40, people began to become optimistic, and at the age of 55, reached the highest level of optimism. Subsequently, the degree of optimism will slowly decrease as the age increases.

According to a study earlier this year, in an 18-year follow-up experiment, people who are optimistic and hold goals, such as “even those who think they can see positive side in adversity” Or “even if you are in trouble, but you are not willing to stop before you find a solution”, you have been further improved in depression, anxiety and panic disorder.

“According to our research, people can improve their mental health by improving or maintaining a high degree of resilience, adaptability, and optimism.” The first author of the study, Pennsylvania State University (The Pennsylvania) State University) Nur Hani Zainal said.

“Providing personal and professional goals for yourself can make people feel the meaning of life more. On the contrary, if you miss the goal, or have a cynical attitude towards it, you are more likely to have mental health problems. Zainar added.

According to relevant research, it is indeed possible to cultivate an optimistic attitude by visualizing the way in which individuals are optimistic in the future. In this method, you need to imagine the sense of accomplishment after achieving an important goal, such as achieving important professional achievements, sexy body shape through persistence in exercise, or harvesting a group of good friends. According to one of the studies, “imagine the best self” can “increasing the expectation of a better future”.

“Although the size of the subjects in these studies is relatively small, and the time frame for assessing the persistence of effects is relatively short,” Labas said, “but these findings are still exciting.” /p>

Professor Li of Boston University agrees with this view. He believes that “these findings do reflect the fact that by imagining that you are good at all aspects of the future, or by using ‘active intervention’ methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, you can actually increase your personal optimism.”

“It’s just that what is not 100% sure is whether it can really promote personal health by cultivating an optimistic attitude.Kanghe extended life. Professor Li added.

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Translator: Ishii Junichi