HERE ARE PROOFS THAT IMPROVING YOUR MENIAL HEALTH HELPS YOUR OVERALL PYYSICAL HEALTH

HEALTH NEWS

Fact Checked

Written by Tony Hicks  — Fact checked by Dana K. Cassell

Experts say the brain and body are connected, so having good mental health can help improve your overall physical health. 

Human brain organ

Scientists say improving your mental health can improve your overall physical health.

They say it’s more than just stress. Your mind and body are connected in many ways.

Experts say adequate sleep, regular exercise, getting outdoors, a nutritious diet, and mindfulness are all ways to improve mental health.

It’s not all in your head. Not even close.

Psychological health directly affects heart health, risk of stroke, and other conditions thought to be directly attributable to other external forces, according to a new scientific statement recently published in the journal Circulation.

“A person’s mind, heart, and body are all interconnected and interdependent in what can be termed ‘the mind-heart-body connection,’” said Dr. Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and chair of the writing committee for the statement. “Research has clearly demonstrated that negative psychological factors, personality traits, and mental health disorders can negatively impact cardiovascular health.”

“On the other hand, studies have found positive psychological attributes are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality,” Levine told Healthline.

The statement associates negative psychological health conditions such as depression, chronic stress, anxiety, anger, and pessimism with potentially harmful biological responses such as heartbeat irregularities, digestive complaints, increased blood pressure, inflammation, and reduced blood flow to the heart.

It also states that negative psychological factors linked to smoking and an unhealthy diet also increase heart problems and stroke risk.

The statement suggests regular mental health screenings, psychological therapy, and mind-body programs can lead to better cardiovascular health. General and work-related stress have been associated with a 40 percent increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease.

“So many people are still influenced by the biomedical model or by dualism — made popular by (French philosopher and scientist) René Descartes in the 1600s — that suggests that there is a firewall between mind and body,” Thomas Plante, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in California, told Healthline. “This clearly isn’t true. Yet, these old ways of thinking and behaving are hard to overcome.”

“If you really want to help people to be healthy, stay healthy, and recover from illness as best as one can, then you must think in biopsychosocial and systemic mind-body ways to do so,” he added. “Plus, most of our health problems that kill people — including COVID-19 — are very much influenced by health behaviors.”