By Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen[1] for YouBeauty


Sometimes it can be hard to look on the bright side of life -- and those are the times when it might be most important to do so.


More From YouBeauty:

Positivity Is The Best Medicine

How To Express Gratitude

Stop Stress Eating For Good[2] [3] [4]


A recent research paper[5] published online in September 2013 in a journal of the American Heart Association shows that even for people dealing with heart disease -- the number one killer of adults in this country -- a positive outlook means living longer and stronger, or as we say, living younger.


The study, which looked at 607 patients in a hospital in Denmark, found that patients whose moods were overall more positive were 58 percent more likely to live at least another five years. These people exercised more, too. The scientists can’t say for sure if positivity led to exercise or if exercise improved mood, but we say that the important message is the same either way: Positive thinking and regular physical activity are really important for life (and beauty, too).


One of the reasons we love this study so much is that we’ve been saying this the whole time! Having the right attitude is even more important for your body than daily sunscreen and a weekend spa getaway, every other week -- yes, that important. Humor improves immune cell function, helps you ward off illness and decreases your chances of cancer -- and apparently also increases your chance of living after heart disease hits. Not bad! (We’d rather you change your exercise, food and stress management programs now so heart disease is unlikely in the first place).


And the chicken-or-egg thing doesn’t bother us at all. Physical activity improves mood, so if working out makes you feel better, that’s great. It does us. The other side of this two-headed coin is that feeling happier and more optimistic helps motivate you to engage in healthful habits. That might mean a hike in the woods, hopping on a treadmill, eating more vegetables or all of the above. It’s a win-win as we see it.



How to Get on the Positive Track


It’s not like you can go to your doctor and get a prescription for positivity. (What would it say, "Tell two jokes every 4 to 6 hours"?) You have to take the initiative to inject humor into your life. There are some obvious ways and some less obvious ways. First, the obvious ones. TiVo Letterman and the Daily Show (because sleep is important for health, too), read a blog that makes you laugh, or hang out with friends who never fail to boost your mood, no matter how much of a sourpuss you’ve been. Go to the park with your dog, play dress up with your kids; anything that’s going to bring a smile to your face is good medicine.


Some less obvious choices? Studies have shown that helping others helps you, too. Volunteering is a great way to give as much as you get and get as much as you give. Practice gratitude, which means thinking of, or writing down the things that you are grateful for in your life. Positive affirmations remind you of the wonderful things in your life and make you feel happier and more satisfied.


It’s a positive cycle: The more you do it, the easier it gets -- and the younger you’ll feel and look.




Loading Slideshow...



  • ...Have Healthier Hearts


    Could a positive outlook be the key to a healthier ticker? Maybe so, according to a 2012 scientific review published in the journal <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/bul/index.aspx" target="_blank">Psychological Bulletin</a>. "Health is more than the absence of disease," co-author Julia Boehm, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/optimism-healthy-heart_n_1431458.html" target="_blank">told HuffPost's Catherine Pearson when the findings were released</a>. "So we looked at the positive side of things -- how optimism and happiness might protect against cardiovascular disease." The review suggests that psychological well-being, including optimism, is linked with a reduction in heart attacks and strokes, as well as other cardiovascular problems, <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/positive-emotions-cardiovascular-health/" target="_blank">according to HSPH News</a>. HuffPost's Pearson reported: <blockquote>The evidence suggests that people who are happy and optimistic are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, like doing physical activity, eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep. It also shows an association between positivity and measurable biological factors, like lower blood pressure and healthier lipid profiles. But the various studies do not reveal whether happiness or healthy behaviors come first. It could be that happier, more positive people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, which in turn improves factors like blood pressure. It could also be that engaging in healthy behaviors and having a better biological profile helps boost psychological well-being.</blockquote>




  • ...Have Better Cholesterol


    A 2013 study, also from the Harvard School of Public Health, but this time published in <a href="http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(13)00388-3/abstract" target="_blank">The American Journal of Cardiology</a>, found that middle-aged study participants who scored as optimistic on a test have higher levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and lower levels of triglycerides. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/good-cholesterol-middle-aged-optimism_n_2831773.html" target="_blank">Huff/Post 50 reported in March</a>: <blockquote>The study asked 990 male and female participants between the ages of 40 ad 70 years old if they agreed with a number of statements about life, such as: “I expect more good things to happen to me than bad” and "If something can go wrong for me it will." The participants with sunnier dispositions had better levels of good cholesterol, and often kept “a prudent diet and [had] a lower body mass index,” Julia Boehm, the study's lead author, told Huff/Post50 in an e-mail.</blockquote>




  • ...Handle Stress Smoothly


    It can seem particularly tricky to think positively when you're stressed out -- but that's <em>exactly</em> when optimism can help the most, according to "positivity" researcher Barbara Fredrickson. Her research shows that people who find meaning in stressful experiences -- <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/the-benefits-of-optimism-are-real/273306/">exhibiting a type of "silver lining" thinking</a> -- are also more likely to recover from the psychological pain of a bad event. What's more, according to Fredrickson's research <a href="http://www.unc.edu/peplab/publications/Fredrickson_AmSci_English_2003.pdf">upbeat thoughts had a positive effect on physical recovery</a> from an immediate stressor: According to one study, study participants who were subjected to public speaking had heart rates that returned to normal in a shorter time span if they watched a positive video beforehand. And in totally unrelated research, psychologists found that being optimistic about one’s own abilities -- and engaging in positive self-talk -- was enough to <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/self-affirmation-problem-solving-chronic-stress_n_3194437.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living”>improve problem solving during times of great stress</a>.




  • ...Have Stronger Immunity


    As if the glass-half-empty set doesn't have enough to fret about. A study found that keeping a positive outlook has an impact on the strength of your immune system. Researchers tracked first-year law students through the ups and downs of their school year. They found that individual students had different levels of immune response based on how positively they were thinking about things. When a student displayed optimistic thinking, he also showed <a href="http://www.livescience.com/8158-optimism-boosts-immune-system.html">greater cell-mediated immunity</a> -- a phenomenon in which immune cells cluster to respond to a perceived threat, in this case a harmless but provocative injection of a dead mumps virus. On the other hand, a gloomy outlook -- brought on by say, a missed internship or bad test score -- had an actual negative effect on the response of immune cells.




  • ...Have Lower Stroke Risk


    In the largest study of the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20110721/being-optimistic-may-reduce-risk-of-stroke" target="_blank">link between positive thinking and stroke risk</a>, researchers observed 6,044 adults involved in the ongoing Health and Retirement Study who had not previously had a stroke, WebMD reported. Optimism was rated on a 16-point scale, and with every point increase in positivity, people exhibited a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDisease/attitude-adjustment-optimism-staves-off-stroke-older-patients/story?id=14125345#.UYliYis4UtQ" target="_blank">9 percent lower likelihood of having a stroke</a>, according to ABC News. Researchers haven't pinpointed whether that association is due to a <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/health/story/2011/07/Optimism-may-lower-stroke-risk/49602260/1" target="_blank">biological effect of optimism</a> or merely the fact that people who look on the bright side are likely to take more steps toward total health, USA Today reported.




  • ...Regulate Emotions Better


    In his studies of prisoners of war, U.S. Special Forces, earthquake victims and others surrounded by stress, Dr. Dennis Charney found that the people who bounced back more easily from trying and traumatic situations had a number of similar traits. At the top of the list? <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/12/qa-with-psychiatrists-on-how-to-bounce-back-after-severe-stress/" target="_blank">Having a positive attitude</a>. Optimistic war veterans were found to have <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/the-benefits-of-optimism-are-real/273306/" target="_blank">lower rates of depression and PTSD</a>, The Atlantic reported, because of their ability to say, <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/12/qa-with-psychiatrists-on-how-to-bounce-back-after-severe-stress/#ixzz2Sdu1SP2R" target="_blank">"This is a challenge, but I will prevail,"</a> Charney told Time.com. This realistic yet optimistic outlook is likely the key, since <a href="http://news.menshealth.com/failure-helps-career/2011/10/27/" target="_blank">being <em>overly</em> optimistic has been linked to <em>higher</em> rates of depression</a>, Men's Health reported.




  • ...Live Longer


    With protective effects against so many serious health concerns, it follows that <a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/05/29/optimism-laughter-may-bring-long-life" target="_blank">optimism has been linked to a longer life</a> in general. In a 2012 study of 243 centenarians, researchers found that most looked at life through rose-colored glasses. "When I started working with centenarians, I thought we'd find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery," study author Dr. Nir Barzilai said in a statement. "But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life. <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/aeco-gm052412.php" target="_blank">Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing</a>."