LIVING healthy and regular exercise is proven to make people happier . So also with helping others . Because according to a new study from the University of California Los Angeles ( UCLA ) , would like to help improve a person's immune system .
The study, conducted by researchers at UCLA and the University of North Carolina , revealed that people who like to help have a high level of welfare eudaimonik . And this is evident from the positive gene expression profiles in their immune cells , including a low inflammatory gene expression and gene antiviral antibodies and strong .
Conversely ,
individuals who rate high hedonisnya welfare , or happiness derived from the consumption of certain goods and satisfaction of self ( self - gratification ) , suggests the opposite . High inflammation gene expression , antibody genes and antiviralnya too weak .
To obtain the conclusion , Steven Cole ( professor of medicine at UCLA ) and Barbara L. Fredrickson ( University of North Carolina ) takes 10 years to observe how human genes respond to positive mental state . Previously most experts observe more human gene response to fear , stress , pain and other negative mental states .
Both study the biological effects of welfare and welfare eudaimonik hedonist , by taking blood samples from 80 healthy adults , who have been questioned about the welfare and well-being hedonisnya eudaimonik . So is the negative psychological and behavioral factors them .
Then the researchers use gene expression profiles to map the participants' potential difference between the biological effects of hedonic well-being and prosperity eudaimonik .
As a result, participants who experienced welfare eudaimonik , showed positive gene expression profiles in immune cells , and hedonic well-being of participants who felt the profile shows the opposite .
" Not that the people who have the welfare of the hedonist , worse health than those who have a high eudaimonik welfare . Both seemed to have the same positive emotions high . Nevertheless , their genome responds so differently even though the conditions were equally positive emotional , " professor Cole said , as quoted by the Daily Mail website.
In other words , researchers revealed that being nice to others and yourself happy with the condition ( feeling good ) , it gives a totally different effect on genome / human DNA , although similar levels of positive emotions .
" Unexpectedly , the human genome is far more sensitive to differences in the way people responded to attain happiness than his own mind , " said Professor Cole .