Your Immune System Thrives When Your Social Behavior Does
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs places social belonging as the middle tier of the pyramid, but is social connection such a dispensable aspect of life? Recent research suggests that healthy social behavior may be more vital to our well-being than was previously believed.
For decades, studies have shown how loneliness negatively impacts immunity and health. Recent research even suggests that being lonely is as bad for your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This is largely explained by an epigenetic phenomenon known as Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) — when under a perceived threat, such as loneliness, the body shifts toward an upregulation of proinflammatory genes and downregulation of antiviral genes. Chronic inflammation, which is linked to loneliness, is associated with diseases such as diabetes and cancer and ultimately an increased risk of mortality.
The key processes underlying these negative effects of loneliness appear to involve the body’s stress-reduction pathways, such as the parasympathetic nervous system. Loneliness acts as a stressor, and the brain reacts by sending signals throughout the body via stress-reduction pathways that decrease the immune response. A lack of social support has also been linked with accelerated epigenetic aging, which involves DNA modifications that typically come with aging.
However, just as isolated behavior can impede your immune system, social behavior can boost it. Although less studied than the negative effects of loneliness and antisocial behavior, prosocial behavior and social support have been shown to strengthen the immune system and contribute to better overall health. Social support refers to an individual’s perceived network of resources. Higher levels of social support have been linked with reduced inflammation. A study at Harvard University even found that positive relationships were the #1 predictor of a better, longer life. Feelings of support and safety can downregulate the body’s sympathetic defense reactions. This can help the body regulate inflammation and cortisol levels, achieving a more balanced state and decreasing the risk of many diseases.
For decades, studies have shown how loneliness negatively impacts immunity and health. Recent research even suggests that being lonely is as bad for your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This is largely explained by an epigenetic phenomenon known as Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) — when under a perceived threat, such as loneliness, the body shifts toward an upregulation of proinflammatory genes and downregulation of antiviral genes. Chronic inflammation, which is linked to loneliness, is associated with diseases such as diabetes and cancer and ultimately an increased risk of mortality.
The key processes underlying these negative effects of loneliness appear to involve the body’s stress-reduction pathways, such as the parasympathetic nervous system. Loneliness acts as a stressor, and the brain reacts by sending signals throughout the body via stress-reduction pathways that decrease the immune response. A lack of social support has also been linked with accelerated epigenetic aging, which involves DNA modifications that typically come with aging.
However, just as isolated behavior can impede your immune system, social behavior can boost it. Although less studied than the negative effects of loneliness and antisocial behavior, prosocial behavior and social support have been shown to strengthen the immune system and contribute to better overall health. Social support refers to an individual’s perceived network of resources. Higher levels of social support have been linked with reduced inflammation. A study at Harvard University even found that positive relationships were the #1 predictor of a better, longer life. Feelings of support and safety can downregulate the body’s sympathetic defense reactions. This can help the body regulate inflammation and cortisol levels, achieving a more balanced state and decreasing the risk of many diseases.
Volunteering, an act of prosocial behavior, is associated with a lower risk of mortality.
Image Source: RDNE Stock Project
In addition to support from one’s community, prosocial behavior also benefits one’s health. Prosocial behavior describes actions that benefit others (i.e. acts of kindness). Volunteering, for example, is associated with a lower risk of mortality. One study in 2019 found a causal link between prosocial behavior and an improvement in CTRA characterized by a decrease in proinflammatory gene expression along with an increase in antiviral gene expression. Helping others can also lead to an increase in production of oxytocin in the body, a hormone associated with feelings of love, connection, and emotional well-being. Oxytocin directly activates immune cells, thus boosting the immune system and decreasing inflammation. However, it is important to note that not all helping behavior benefits one’s health. Chronic caregiving, for example, can be very stressful and often leads to adverse effects relative to what is observed from other, less taxing acts of kindness and service.
These findings shed light on an area of wellness largely overlooked by the current healthcare system. This offers people an incentive to put more effort into their social relationships, as this seems to be a simple way to take more control of one’s health and well-being. Policymakers and healthcare professionals can also utilize these findings by shifting the way they address health issues, putting more emphasis on the importance of positive social behavior and spreading awareness to patients about the importance of social support.
These findings shed light on an area of wellness largely overlooked by the current healthcare system. This offers people an incentive to put more effort into their social relationships, as this seems to be a simple way to take more control of one’s health and well-being. Policymakers and healthcare professionals can also utilize these findings by shifting the way they address health issues, putting more emphasis on the importance of positive social behavior and spreading awareness to patients about the importance of social support.
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