Goodness and Kindess really are good for you

If you ever needed proof that Science wants to dethrone God, Scientific American among others, are full of it. This one of course is a no brainer, but there are people out there proving that it is true…as I always say, the more I know of science, the more I believe in God.

She opens her mouth with wisdom; and her tongue is filled with the law of kindness…Psalm 31:26

Doing good for others warms the heart—and may protect the heart, too. Psychologists at the University of British Columbia asked 106 high school students to take part in a volunteering study.

Half of the students spent an hour every week for 10 weeks helping elementary students with home-work, sports or club activities. The other half of the students did not participate in volunteer work.

Using questionnaires and a medical examination both be-fore and after the 10-week period, the researchers found that students who volunteered had lower levels of cholesterol and inflammation after the study. Those who did not volunteer showed no such improvements.

The health benefits did not correlate to a specific volunteer activity — such as sedentary homework help versus athletics—nor did they link to improvements in self-esteem.But the researchers did find that students who reported the greatest increases in empathetic and altruistic behavior after their volunteering experience also exhibited the most pronounced improvements in heart health.

Although more research is needed to untangle how health benefits and altruistic behavior are intertwined, psychologist and study author Hannah Schreier hypothesizes that their findings may reflect a “spillover” effect.

“Keeping others motivated could improve your own motivation for healthy behaviors,” Schreier says. —Daisy Yuhas

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever…Psalm 23:6

IN CHILDHOOD
Behaving kindly by cooperating,sharing and consoling others—may predict academic success years later.