The most important steps to help you stay healthy and free from long-term aches and pains are no big secret: get regular exercise, watch your weight, and eat a healthy diet.
But scientists have now identified another, more unlikely factor that could have a remarkably large impact: giving to charity. There is growing evidence that simple acts of altruism, such as donating money, giving free time, or even simple acts of kindness, can have great health benefits, potentially helping us live longer and boost our immune systems.
Next, researchers at London University wanted to see if doing things for others – so-called pro-social behavior – could also reduce the risk of chronic pain, defined as pain lasting three months or more.
In addition to the physical suffering, some studies suggest that up to 85 percent of people with chronic pain become depressed as a result. This can often reduce motivation to take self-help measures that can relieve pain, such as regular, gentle exercise.
For the recent study, the researchers examined data from 48,000 people who took part in a long-term study of all aspects of health called the UK Household Longitudinal Survey from 2011 to 2020: This included data on so-called prosocial behavior (mainly, doing things for the benefit of others) and rates of chronic pain.
Mounting evidence suggests that simple acts of altruism can have major health benefits ? possibly helping us live longer and boost our immune systems
The survey participants were asked if they had donated money to charity in the past 12 months, and if so, how much.
Just over two-thirds say they have given money to charities, while almost one in five have volunteered during the same period.
The researchers compared this data to the number of participants who said chronic pain had seriously disrupted their lives over the nine-year study period.
The results, published last month, showed that those who donated money to charity had a reduced risk of experiencing pain or reporting chronic pain of any kind, while doing some volunteer work had an even greater impact .
And the greatest benefits were seen in those who did both.
The researchers suggested that the most likely explanation for this is that volunteering usually involves some form of physical activity that stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s own painkillers and mood enhancers.
But simply making a donation can have a similar effect.
In the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, the researchers write, “Prosocial behavior also promotes better mental health, and we know that physical pain and mental health are closely linked.”
Some studies suggest that up to 85 percent of people with chronic pain become depressed as a result (File image)
“Endorphins are produced when you accomplish something you set out to do,” explains Dr. Audrey Tang, a psychologist.
“They tend to linger in the body afterwards, helping to relieve chronic pain.”
However, research suggests that the benefits of being kind go beyond preventing pain.
A 2013 study by Arizona State University psychologists found that people over the age of 55 who volunteered to help others or charities for free were at least 24 percent less likely to die prematurely than others their age who did not. This can be critical for people trying to maintain their physical and mental health after retirement, says Dr. Tang. ‘In addition to the social interaction, you are exercising and you keep the joints mobile and supple.’
Other studies show that acts of kindness can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, primarily by lowering levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, which can raise blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
And just watching someone else be altruistic can actually boost your ability to fight infection.
For a groundbreaking study in 1988, researchers at Harvard University in the US asked a group of volunteers to watch a video highlighting Mother Teresa’s kind acts of charity in India.
A second group was asked to watch a film about Hitler’s exploits in World War II. Researchers took blood samples before and after to measure the participants’ levels of immunoglobulin A, a substance released by the immune system as a defense against bacteria, toxins or viruses.
The results showed that those who watched Mother Teresa’s altruistic behavior experienced a sudden spike in immunoglobulin A, while those who watched the Hitler showreel had no change.
The idea that even witnessing an act of kindness is enough to affect your own health came to be known as the “Mother Teresa effect”:
“But,” Dr. Tang says, “you’ll probably benefit more from performing an altruistic act than watching someone do it.”