Ever heard the notion that the happy tend to live longer?  If you’re a cynic, you probably fluffed this off as sounding too goody-goody to be true.  Well, science says otherwise.

According to a new study conducted as part of the Women’s Health Initiative, postmenopausal women are more likely to live longer and suffer from fewer diseases than women taking antidepressants.

The study followed about 160,000 women over the course of 15 years.  The women would meet with their doctors once per year, and the doctors would note any changes to their health or if they were taking any new medications.  A small portion of the women (about 5,500 of them) began taking antidepressants at the six-year mark.

It was at this point that doctors began to notice some changes.  Their health status began to worsen, showing symptoms associated with heart disease and stroke.  In fact, compared to the women not taking antidepressants, women taking antidepressants had a 45 percent higher risk for stroke, and their risk for dying early from disease was a third higher than the women not on antidepressants.

Now, as is typical with researchers, their loath to draw any conclusions from this study.  In other words, they’re not pinpointing antidepressants (SSRIs, specifically) as the thing that’s making them more at risk for death.

Well, you already know how I feel about antidepressants.  But let’s pretend antidepressants aren’t linked to an increased risk for stroke.  That doesn’t negate the fact that there are at least 12 studies showing happy people live longer than perpetually perturbed people.  And this standard applies to short-term illnesses as well.  Researchers from Carnegie Mellon exposed people who considered themselves happy and people who considered themselves unhappy to the same strain of flu.  And what’dya know?  The happy people suffered from fewer cold and flu-related symptoms.

Maintaining a positive attitude takes work and practice.  It’s like a muscle—it has to be worked on to get bigger and stronger.  Steve G. Jones and I write about this very thing in our new book, You Can Attract It. I encourage you to read it; I firmly believe it could change your life if you take it seriously.

In the meantime, here are a few things you can do to help buoy your mood all-naturally.  For starters, you’ve got to be taking some kind of fish oil supplement, as they contain essential fatty acids.  Omega-3s have a major influence on mood.   My favorite one is Carlson’s.

Another important nutrient is 5 Hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP.  5-HTP is an amino acid, but it’s not found in many foods.  The foods that it is in, like turkey, you’d have to eat the entire bird to get any measurable amount.  So supplementing with a quality 5-HTP supplement is vital.  5-HTP is intricately involved in the brain’s production of serotonin.

Finally…exercise, exercise, exercise!  For many people, exercise is a form of stress, not stress relief.  But it is documented science that the brain produces endorphins during exercise, which put the kibosh on pain receptors.  Think about it:  How often have you said, “I hate going to exercise, but I always feel better afterwards”?  You said it because your brain chemistry went through changes while you exercised.

There are many other ways you can treat depression naturally, but start with these.  Remember, happiness has to be worked at.  But your work will not be in vain, as you’ll be rewarded with a longer more fulfilling life!

Sources
webmd.com
en.wikipedia.org
health.usnews.com
Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” 4th Edition. Avery: New York