Health
There is a popular belief that all diseases are caused by nerves, and science has repeatedly confirmed that stress can lead to illness. Now, in a new study, scientists have tried to understand which components of the immune system are responsible for further reducing stress and improving immunity.
A group of 122 participants completed a questionnaire about their activities over an eight-day period, stating whether communication with others was positive or negative for them. They also underwent stress-inducing tests before and after the survey to measure inflammatory markers — cytokines.
Participants' cytokine levels increased after negative events, such as disputes or during aggressive interactions. This level did not increase during competitive sports games, which indicates the friendly nature of sports, while arguments and aggressive behavior were perceived as a negative experience.
High levels of inflammation over time have led to problems ranging from heart disease to cancer. “If you're not injured, they have nowhere to go and they're circulating through the body,” explained study author Shelley Taylor from the University of California, USA.
The question remains whether stress causes inflammation or whether there are more subtle nuances of this interaction. We need to find out whether people who are naturally more likely to experience stress develop more inflammation, or whether people with more inflammation feel more stressed.
But until scientists figure this out, it's safe to say that any way to get rid of stress can improve your health. Exercise, yoga, meditation, psychotherapy, massage and other effective methods can relieve stress and calm your other body systems.