Giving is good for your health

Posted on Tue, 8 Dec 09

Modern culture is heavily focused on the accrual of material wealth often at the expense of social wealth. It is well established that social relationships are an important determinant of health and wellbeing. Furthermore it may be that the act of giving, more than receiving, is important for health.

Caring and bunny rabbits

Compassion, love, and social support have long been known to have measurable health benefits. In a famous study in the 1970s it was found that a group of rabbits fed a high fat high cholesterol diet had 60% less heart disease than rabbits fed the same diet. The only difference was that the healthier rabbits were taken out of their cages, petted and talked to by the laboratory assistant before they received their meal. Several other reports have found a relationship between the act of giving, wellbeing and longevity (1).

The greatest gift

In a study of older adults it was found that those who were actively involved in altruistic behaviours both material (e.g., money, food, help when sick) and emotional (e.g., advice) had greater physical health and a lower incidence of disease than those who were less giving (2). Importantly health and wellbeing was greater for those who gave than those who received.  Altruistic social behaviours have also been associated with greater mental health (3).

Obtaining altruism

While it may be impossible to prove that altruistic people are not simply healthier the science does seem to reinforce the age old adage that it’s good to be good. Albert Einstein once said that “the value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” Humans are naturally altruistic. In fact infants between the ages of 14-18 months help others irrespective of reward for their actions (4). In a culture often focused on personal gain we should perhaps be reminded that not only are we naturally giving, social creatures but that our health may depend on it. 

References

1. Post SG. Altuism, happiness, and health: it's good to be good. Int J Behav Med. 2005;12(2):66-77.

2. Brown WM, Consedine NS, Magai C. Altruism relates to health in an ethnically diverse sample of older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2005 May;60(3):P143-52.

3. Schwartz C, Meisenhelder JB, Ma Y, Reed G. Altruistic social interest behaviors are associated with better mental health. Psychosom Med. 2003 Sep-Oct;65(5):778-85

4. Warneken F, Tomasello M. The roots of human altruism. Br J Psychol. 2009 Aug;100(Pt 3):455-71.