The Power Of The Mind And Body Connection

Several years ago professional actors were recruited to study the effects of emotion on the immune system

. They read a 100 word monologue created a realistic mood by developing the scene and acting it out. Once they were in a particular emotional state, the researchers drew their blood to measure any physical changes associated with particular emotional states. They found by shifting from one emotional state to another, the actors could stimulate or suppress their immune function. Since this study, additional studies measured changes in hormone levels, brain chemistry, blood sugar levels and even the ability to heal properly.

The findings from all this research resulted in a new field of science called psychoneuroimmunology. I tell you all this because these are stressful times for many which often results in more people becoming ill during this time. The bottom line is if you are depressed you are at a higher risk for developing cancer.

I suspect that most of us have experienced those times when we are down in the dumps and stop fighting the cold we think we are getting. The result is we are miserable with a running nose for the next week. Since I started working out I am personally aware how my mood impacts my posture and my gait. On the other hand, I do not want to take the view that those who have cancer brought it on themselves because they were thinking too negatively. Besides, where do you categorize all those very brave people who fought hard against cancer but lost.

The good news is there is ongoing research proving the idea that thoughts and emotions have a powerful influence on our physical health. Research shows that the brain can release hormones and other chemicals that affect white blood cells and other parts of the immune system. Though the chemicals have other functions they are a link between our thoughts and our ability to resist disease.

For instance, when you react to stress because of fear, your brain sends a danger message to your body. Hormones are released to raise blood pressure and prepare your muscles for quick action so you can fight or flee the danger. The stress hormones depress the disease-resistance system and over time, can damage the brain, your heart and your digestive tract.

We already know that thoughts can cause ulcers, indigestion, and high blood pressure. Thoughts can also depress the immune system which can lead to a variety of illnesses. Keep in mind that whether a person experiences poor health and how soon, also depends on heredity, environment, diet and behavior. Those are the unknown factors.

One of the best examples of mind over matter are the results of medical studies using placebos. In the medical world, a clinical trial or research study is usually done to prove whether a new medication or therapy is effective before it is approved and used as a treatment. To show that the new treatment is effective, it is often compared to the placebo. A new drug is tested against the placebo because the placebo should have no influence on the patient what so ever. Most often neither the patients nor the researchers know who has the placebo and who has the tested medicine.

Even though placebos do not act on the disease, they seem to have an effect in about 1 in 3 patients which is 30 percent. A change in symptoms as a result of getting a placebo is called a placebo effect. This term usually refers to the helpful effects of a placebo in relieving the symptoms. And there are studies showing that the placebo effect is real. For example, scientists have recorded brain activity in response to the placebo.

The mind somehow causes other physical changes in the body over the short term. The patient expects to feel better and she does. However, even if a person feels better after taking the placebo, it does not mean the illness or symptoms are gone. Some scientists believe that the effects of many alternative therapies may simply be a placebo effect.

by: Ruthan Brodsky

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