An innovative study by American psychologists has proven that worries and anxiety about stressful and unpleasant situations provoke an inflammatory process in the body. Note that it is the experiences, not the situations themselves. As it turned out, the indicator of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) increased significantly when people started to “lose” an unpleasant incident in their minds.
This is the first study of this level, in which scientists measured the degree of influence of thoughts on the human body. Associate Professor of Psychology Peggy Zokkola (Ohio University) said that, unlike previous studies that did not rely on experimental data, a thorough survey of volunteers was conducted. Respondents reported in detail how often they mentally “chewed” negative points. Only after that, the researchers studied the state of physical health.
Thirty-four young and completely healthy women took part in the testing. As you know, C-reactive protein, which is produced in the liver, is one of the main mechanisms of the first-order immune inflammatory response. In medicine, it is customary to use it to determine the presence of infection in the body and to predict the possible risks of developing the disease. An unambiguous conclusion suggests itself: constant, obsessive memories and thoughts about a stressful situation “triggered” the immune response in the form of inflammation.
