Unfairness and Heart Risk
It’s been ages again since I’ve written to my blog. Now that all the plants have been pruned, transferred, replanted or dug up, I now hope to have a little more time to attend to my blog.
A news blurb from the Heart Math Institute that sends out periodic e-newsletters recently caught my eye about a study conducted in England that found that people with a deep sense of injustice had a 55 percent higher chance of suffering from serious heart disease. Researchers believe that a sense of injustice engenders negative emotions which prompt biochemical changes in the body.
The study looked at 8,000 senior civil servants working for the U.K. government over an 11 year period. The participating civil servants were asked to rank from one to six their agreement with the statement, “I often have the feeling that I am being treated unfairly.”
The results showed that those reporting more unfair treatment had a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or angina.
It reminded me of another study I read about in the Washington Post which showed the benefits of altruism and health. Although completely opposite of the study mentioned above, this study showed that our brains may be hardwired to perform altruistic acts by helping each other. The study showed that the act of helping others in need did in fact, release endorphins and other “feel good” hormones in the brain.
Studies in contrast and something to ponder. . .
It’s been ages again since I’ve written to my blog. Now that all the plants have been pruned, transferred, replanted or dug up, I now hope to have a little more time to attend to my blog.
A news blurb from the Heart Math Institute that sends out periodic e-newsletters recently caught my eye about a study conducted in England that found that people with a deep sense of injustice had a 55 percent higher chance of suffering from serious heart disease. Researchers believe that a sense of injustice engenders negative emotions which prompt biochemical changes in the body.
The study looked at 8,000 senior civil servants working for the U.K. government over an 11 year period. The participating civil servants were asked to rank from one to six their agreement with the statement, “I often have the feeling that I am being treated unfairly.”
The results showed that those reporting more unfair treatment had a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or angina.
It reminded me of another study I read about in the Washington Post which showed the benefits of altruism and health. Although completely opposite of the study mentioned above, this study showed that our brains may be hardwired to perform altruistic acts by helping each other. The study showed that the act of helping others in need did in fact, release endorphins and other “feel good” hormones in the brain.
Studies in contrast and something to ponder. . .
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