Why helping others is so good for you!

We all know it’s nice to be kind – but did you know it has health benefits, too?

The benefits of good deeds

‘Kindness works wonders on your mental and physical health’

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that kindness can make the world a better place. And it’s not just the warm altruistic glow that being charitable and compassionate generates; studies have found that kindness can also work wonders on your mental and physical health. ‘People often prefer to look for health solutions in a miracle pill, not realising that kindness is far more powerful,’ says Marta Zaraska (top left), author of Growing Young. Here’s her round-up of the top benefits of being kind…

YOU’LL BE HAPPIER

Ever wondered why you feel great after doing a good deed? Often known as ‘helper’s high’, it’s due to the fact that helping people encourages the release of dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that can create a feeling of euphoria. Being kind can also boost the ‘happy chemicals’ oxytocin, which makes us feel comfortable and safe, and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.

YOU’LL BE LESS STRESSED

Helping others has been shown to reduce our cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. Marta put this to the test herself with scientists at King’s College London. By measuring her levels of cortisol, it showed that on the days when she engaged in acts of kindness, her cortisol response was much healthier than on other days, no matter how much stress she’d actually experienced.

IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR NERVES

A kind act could boost health through affecting the vagus, a nerve bundle that connects your brain, heart and gut. ‘The vagus is the nerve of compassion,’ says Marta. ‘When people engage in activities that make them experience compassion, the activity of their vagus goes up, which could help keep the nerve in shape.’

IT CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER ‘Research has found that volunteering could lower your mortality risk by up to 44%,’ says Marta. ‘That’s even more than regular exercise, which can lower mortality risk by a third, or eating six servings of fruit and vegetables a day, which can cut your risk by around 25%.’

YOU MIGHT BECOME STRONGER In a US experiment, scientists asked people to see how long they could hold a weight. After the first attempt, participants were given a dollar, and half were asked if they’d like to donate it to UNICEF. Then, everyone was asked to try the weight again. Those who gave away their dollar could hold the weight 15% longer than those who kept it. Researchers concluded that thinking of ourselves as moral boosts our strength.

IT CAN KEEP YOU OUT OF HOSPITAL Studies found that people who volunteer frequently have lower levels of C-reactive protein, which is produced by the liver in response to inflammation, something which can cause lasting damage to the heart, brain and other organs. Volunteers have a lower risk of high blood glucose levels and, on average, spend 38% fewer nights in hospitals than less altruistic people. • Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism And Kindness Can Help You Live To 100 (Robinson) by Marta Zaraska is out now