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The relationship between health and religion
religionhealth
In 2013, T.M. Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford, explained the boost religion can give to a person's lifespan in a column for The New York Times. She highlighted how regular attendance at worship services, as well as strong personal faith, is shown to decrease blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. - photo by istockphoto.com/meshaphoto
Kelsey Dallas
Deseret News National
Updated: Oct 11, 2014, 9:00 AM
Published: Oct 6, 2014, 5:33 PM

Making predictions about a person's physical and mental well-being may be as simple as asking them where they were on the Sabbath.

A recent article from The Atlantic explores the variety of ways leaving a religious community impacts an individual's health, highlighting the support groups and other therapy options available to "deconverts," or people who quit religion.

Treatment might be necessary, the article explained, because "many who leave religion in America become isolated from their former communities, which can make them anxious, depressed or even suicidal."

As The Telegraph reported in 2010, these negative side effects largely stem from loss of access to a religion's support structures, such as intrafaith friendships.

The Atlantic noted that the effects of leaving a church vary according to how a person characterizes his relationship to religion. "The end of a positive religious experience can lead to a decrease in health. … But leaving a negative religious experience may be a way to boost health," the article reported.

The key takeaway is that religion's influence goes beyond the spiritual to include aspects of physical health, a phenomenon that has been in the news several times in the past few years. Here are some ways faith has been shown to impact personal well-being:

1. Church attendance increases life expectancy.

In 2013, T.M. Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford, explained the boost religion can give to a person's lifespan in a column for The New York Times. She highlighted how regular attendance at worship services, as well as strong personal faith, is shown to decrease blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. According to Luhrmann, these benefits are likely linked to religion's discouragement of unhealthy behaviors like smoking and substance abuse.

2. Religious belief brings with it a higher sense of purpose.

In a 2013 scholarly article (subscription required) on "the existential effects of belief," Stephen Cranney at the University of Pennsylvania investigated the relationship between living a purpose-driven life and professing religious belief. He found that "those who hold a firm belief in God stand out from all others for their having a higher sense of purpose," Deseret News National reported.

3. High religiosity leads to healthy living.

Tracking behaviors like smoking, healthy eating and exercise among Americans, Gallup determined in 2010 that the most religious respondents were also the healthiest. The "very religious" group — defined by their regular attendance at worship services — were shown to score eight points higher than the nonreligious on the Gallup's "Healthy Behavior Index."

Email: kdallas@deseretnews.com Twitter: @kelsey_dallas
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.