A recent, well-conducted study in Canada looked at the physical effects of doing voluntary work that benefits both the helper and the helped. It seems to confirm that helping people (in the right way) improves the volunteers’ health — in objective, laboratory-measured ways.

Researchers asked 52 high school students in Canada to volunteer once a week, helping younger students with their homework, sports and other after school activities. For comparison, a control group of 54 students did no volunteer work over the same period.

The researchers then took blood samples from both groups — and measured their body mass index — before and after the study. The blood samples were used to measure biomarkers which predict whether someone is likely to develop cardiovascular disease. At the end of the study, the adolescents who did the volunteer work had greater reductions in all of the biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease than those in the control group. They also lost more weight.

How helping helps the helper

Some volunteering, such as taking a housebound person’s dog for a walk, is physical and can help improve your fitness. But merely connecting with people has health benefits too. Volunteering may also reduce stress by taking your mind off problems and helping you relax.

There could also be an evolutionary mechanism. Parts of the brain linked to dopamine and serotonin production seem to be activated in people who donate money. Our ancient ancestors who helped each other were more likely to survive, so received a dopamine “high” in exchange for altruistic behaviour. Dopamine doesn’t just make us feel good, it is also used as medicine for treating low blood pressure, heart disease, Parkinson’s, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and drug addiction.

The good news is, you don’t have to quit your job to join Greenpeace or work in a refugee shelter to gain the health benefits of helping others. You could, instead, help the next homeless person you see. Why not offer them a cup of coffee or some clean clothes? Doing these small things will improve the homeless person’s life in a measurable way, and might even make you healthier, too.

This article was written by Jeremy Howick, Senior Researcher: placebo effects, epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, University of Oxford, for The Conversation. Read the original article and see disclosures here.​

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