Dwelling on negative events can increase levels of inflammation in the body, a new Ohio University study finds. Researchers discovered that when study participants were asked to ruminate on a stressful incident, their levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of tissue inflammation, rose. The study is the first time to directly measure this effect in the body.
The study showed that those people who focused on a stressful even, the levels of the inflammatory marker continued to rise for at least one hour. Compared to people who thought of more relaxing events, the marker returned to starting levels.
More and more, chronic inflammation is being associated with various disorders and conditions. The immune system plays an important role in various cardiovascular disorders such as heart disease, as well as cancer, dementia and autoimmune diseases.
So you really are what you think! To help yourself heal, focus on positive thoughts daily.
