clipped from: www.reuters.com In the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who reported more positive emotions had lower blood levels of two proteins that indicate widespread inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is believed to contribute to a range of ills over time, including heart disease and cancer.
One possibility is that happier people lead more healthful lifestyles, but not all studies have found this to be the case, explained Steptoe.
The current findings, according to Steptoe, add to evidence that happiness and other positive emotions are "associated with biological responses that are health-protective."
They found that men and women who reported happier moods had lower average cortisol levels over the course of the day -- even when factors such as age, weight, smoking and income were taken into account.