A great health devoid of illnesses is achievable. But, somehow, you must have at some point wondered if there was anything humans could do to have endless great health.
While some enjoy good health in life, others have had to battle ailments that limit their productivity.
To help man walk away from illnesses and have a good health, researchers have conducted several studies.
Most of them have brought positive results that are focused on the advancement of humanity.
One of such studies was that conducted in 1978.
Researchers at the time looked at the link between high cholesterol and heart health in rabbits.
Interestingly, they determined that kindness made the difference between a healthy heart and a heart attack.
Science Of Kindness
Can kindness, love and a strong sense of community actually make you healthier and happier? How?
Years after that discovery was made, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, Kelli Harding, revisited that research and recorded her ground-breaking discoveries in a new book.
The books is entitled: “The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness”.
It highlights that thoughts about health should not focus on diet, exercise, sleep and occasional trip to the doctor.
In a radio interview, the physician said: “But it’s really quite striking because there are decades of evidence that show that, in fact, probably the biggest contributor to our health is our relationships.”
“It’s one of those things that, as a doctor, you see every day.
“The way that I got interested in this is I kept seeing patients who would defy their diagnoses.
“Somebody with a really serious illness on paper looks terrible, but then you meet them in person, and they’re doing pretty well.
“They’re living their lives to the fullest, and even though they have an illness, they’re still thriving in many respects”.
However, on the flip side, the doctor said she also noticed something you should know.
“I have seen patients with treatable diseases or conditions, but they were still not doing well.
“Or people for whom medically everything checks out, but they just feel really lousy or have pain that can’t quite be explained.”
Gene Not As Fixed As Thought
Categorically, the doctor emphasised that as much as people may have access to health care, this access only accounts for about 10% to 20% of our health.
What then contributes the 80% to 90%?
Everything relies on our relationship, she said.
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“What we’re talking about is how we’re treated on a day-to-day basis in all the different areas of our lives — from our homes to our schools to our communities and neighborhoods, to our workplaces and our broader community.”
About The Rabbit Study
The 1078 study was conducted to understand if a high-fat diet affects your heart health.
The research was conducted by Robert Nerem and others.
It was a a very straightforward experiment involving genetically identical rabbits, giving them all high-fat diets.
Dr. Harding said: “When it came time to look at the health of the rabbits, he noticed there was one group that was just doing particularly well.
“He couldn’t figure it out and thought they had done something wrong with the study.
“They looked around and realised what was different about that one group is that there was a researcher that wasn’t just giving the rabbits kibbles.
“She was actually picking them up, petting them and talking to them. She was giving them love and kindness”.
That kindness made the rabbits healthier than the other set fed same food.
Let this discovery propel you to choose to build a great relationship in your neighbourhood, workplace and broader communities.
Definitely, this will help you stay healthy.
Consider the way you feel when someone says “thank you” genuinely from the heart.
That joy is enough to calm a raging storm on ailment.