Evidence for mind-body connection

Interesting research on the effect of your attitude on your health:

"Her team recruited 124 first year law students and got them to complete five questionnaires and immunity checks over the course of a year.

The questionnaires measured students' optimism by asking how closely they identified with statements such as "I will be less successful than most of my classmates."

To test immunity, the students had a dose of dead mumps virus or candida yeast injected under the skin of the forearm.

These harmless cocktails trigger a cellular immune response, resulting in a small bump at the injection site.

By measuring the bump, researchers can estimate the strength of the immune response.

As the students experienced classes and exams their optimism levels rose and fell and so did their immunity, or .

When optimism went up, so did their immune response. When pessimism crept in, the immune system weakened.

To illustrate the strength of the link, Prof Segerstrom said it was greater than the effect calcium has on bone mass, or blood pressure medicine has on the risk of stroke.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7532964/Staying-optimistic-...