Diabetes and the Words We Say: What if the words you say and the disposition you choose had a direct bearing on your health? A new report suggests it does.
ABC.com recently reported that when we allow ourselves to become angry and utter words that cause additional anger we may be flooding our bodies with hormones and proteins that are damaging to our health.
This report states, “Pennsylvania State University researchers have found a “physiological marker” showing that words can have a significant impact on a person’s health. Scientists have known for at least a decade that stress can cause a rise in proteins that have been linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.
“But psychologist Jennifer Graham at Penn State reports that choosing words that reflect thoughtfulness, or rationality, or perhaps just caring, can reduce the increase in proteins, called cytokines, such as Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. During stress, those proteins normally go up, thus impairing the immune system.”
It seems that people who actually do care for others, who express both empathy and sympathy may have better overall health than those who are either apathetic or worse yet, angry.
There is an old proverb that says a careful word turns away wrath. The words we choose to say impact the health of the person we talk to – and it impacts our own health.
If you are in a position where you must constantly confront others you may find an overall impact on your health.
Let’s look at this from the perspective of someone who spends time online. It is possible to become involved in a forum or respond to a blog in which you allow your emotions to gain control of your response. You may feel good about your response initially, but may end up regretting – then fretting – over the posted response. If ugly words are traded back and forth you may find elevated stress and all the hormones related to that stress are pouring into your blood stream. Now consider this concept in your relationships with a loved one. If we can learn to control our words and develop a lifestyle that is genuinely concerned with the well being of others we may see a difference in how we ultimately feel.
We exist in a time when stress seems to be the norm, but we are also paying for that stress in terms of bodily damage. We may not be able to escape every stress, but we can learn to manage our response in a way that promotes both physical and psychological health.
The ABC.com report provides ample evidence of how the body responds to stress and arguments between married partners.
One of the proteins released in the heat of stressful arguments is cytokines. MedicineNet.com describes this element as, “A small protein released by cells that has a specific effect on the interactions between cells, on communications between cells or on the behavior of cells. The cytokines includes the interleukins, lymphokines and cell signal molecules, such as tumor necrosis factor and the interferons, which trigger inflammation and respond to infections.”
So in a very real sense your argument could impact inflammations, make infections worse, create conditions for the growth of tumors and ultimately create an environment where diabetes and cardiovascular disease can take over.
We were once told to keep quiet, then later to say whatever was on our minds. Perhaps the new rule is to speak the truth, but do so kindly. Your health is impacted when you chose not to.
