While hedonists may get instant gratification from feelings of pleasure, it's those who have found a sense of purpose in their life that reap life's greatest benefits -- protection against poor health and better physical functioning.

Researchers confirmed this finding by interviewing a group of older women with the intent of evaluating both their emotional and physical well-being. The results showed that the women who had a sense of purpose in their life exhibited stronger physical functioning capabilities. The focus of the study was to find out if there was a link between good mental health and physical functioning.

The study consisted of 135 women between the ages of 61 to 91. The women were required to rate the following two types of healthy emotional well-being:

• Hedonic well-being: Feelings of joy or happiness brought upon by pleasurable experiences
• Eudaimonic well-being: A sense of purpose in life, healthy relationships and high self-esteem

Researchers were surprised to find that the women who claimed to have higher levels of eudaimonic well-being displayed signs of better health such as weighing less, lower levels of daily stress hormones, lower levels of inflammatory cytokines, (a contributor to arthritis), higher levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower sugar levels in the blood. They were also shown to have better sleep habits such as sleeping longer.

Out of all of the above positive health effects, lower cholesterol levels was the only benefit that was found among the women who experienced solely hedonic well-being.

From these findings, researchers concluded that living with a sense of purpose should be added to the list of healthy living strategies such as eating healthy and exercising.

Science Blog August 17, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I've talked a lot about the hidden power behind prayer, meditation and friendships on my Web site and how all these things can heal hearts and lessen stress. The strong relationship that exists between emotional well-being and physical well-being emphasizes the vision and philosophy of my practice -- treating the whole body, not just the symptoms. There are four key components to achieving optimal health: Good nutrition plan Exercising Sleep Emotional health These four areas make up the foundation that maintains total optimal health. Each area is interrelated and is equally important to one another. My treatment approach focuses on preventative healthcare, which simply means I help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don't just fight illness, but work to prevent it too. The other part of my vision centers on Mercola.com, which exposes the existing medical paradigm's techniques, habits and messages that have put, and increasingly are putting, your health and the health of the American public in grave danger. By doing so, and by exposing the dishonorable motives usually greed -- that form the basis of the current establishment's methods, I hope to help eliminate some of the most treacherous barriers on your journey to optimal health. I invite you to delve into the site for all its useful information, sign up for my twice-weekly newsletter, and, most of all, join me in this quest to transform the medical paradigm to one where all medical professionals are truly committed to their patients' health and well-being at the deepest levels. Related Articles: Belief in God Lowers Drugs in Adolescents The Truth About Chiropractic, And How it is Widely Misunderstood The Connections of Health Self-Help Guide to Wholehearted Living Six Easy Ways to Get Better Nutrition Even if You "Don't Have the Time" The Evolving Science of Chiropractic Philosophy, Part I