The Five Side Effects of Kindness (2)

2) Kindness Is Good for the Heart

Acts of kindness are often accompanied by emotional warmth. Emotional warmth produces the hormone, oxytocin, in the brain and throughout the body. Of recent interest is its significant role in the cardiovascular system. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide in blood vessels, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure, and therefore oxytocin is known as a ‘cardioprotective’ hormone because it protects the heart (by lowering blood pressure).

The key is that acts kindness can produce oxytocin, and therefore kindness can be said to be cardioprotective.

My last posting began a series of sharings from Dr. David R. Hamilton, PhD,'s book , "The Five Side Effects of Kindness", and today we look at his second point. The first point said that doing kindnesses makes us FEEL good, but now he is saying that it is actually heart-healthful to undertake them.

How exciting is that!

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Dr. David R. Hamilton, PhD, published a book in 2017 entitled, "The Five Side Effects of Kindness" He explains how scientific evidence has proven that kindness changes the brain, impacts the heart and immune system, and may even be an antidote to depression. We're actually genetically wired to be kind. He shows that the effects of kindness are felt daily throughout our nervous systems. When we're kind, our bodies are healthiest.

References to all studies can be found in

David R Hamilton, PhD., ‘The Five Side Effects of Kindness‘

(Hay House, February 2017).

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