Keep Your Heart Happy This Valentine’s Day

Here’s another incentive to maintain a positive outlook on life; you might just boost your heart health.

Researchers are looking for the reason that happy and optimistic people are often healthier.  A recent study done at University College London found that men and women who were upbeat tended to have less cortisol production, and women had lower levels of inflammatory proteins in their bloodstream.

Cortisol is a hormone that can be released in the body when someone is under stress.  It has been connected to health problems such as high cholesterol.  Chronic inflammation in the body has also been linked to heart disease.

In some instances, happy people also lead healthier lifestyles.

Interestingly, traditional Chinese medicine theory believes that joy is the emotion that most directly impacts the heart organ.