Optimistic people are three times less likely to get cancer, and are less prone to heart disease or stroke.
We know that it is always good to take an optimistic attitude in life, and now science has proven that optimistic people live longer.
Namely, a study involving 70.000 women showed that optimistic people have three times less chance of dying from cancer, heart disease or stroke.
Scientists claim that taking care of mental health can be the key to "extending" life, along with regular exercise and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol.
"Most experts today focus on reducing risk factors, and this is the first evidence that mental health care can also make a difference," says Dr. Eric Kim of Boston.
"Our new findings suggest that we should work on the optimism associated with health and a healthier way of coping with life's challenges."
This study showed that healthy habits - exercise, avoiding cigarettes, alcohol - only partially reduce the risk of death. On the other hand, optimism directly affects our biological system, claims Dr. Kim.
After eight years of monitoring the health of study participants, it was shown that those whose "glass is always half full" have a 30 percent lower chance of contracting and dying from any disease, compared to pessimists.
Specifically, the risk of fatal infection or stroke was 52 and 39 percent lower, while the risk of respiratory diseases was reduced by 38 percent. Also, optimists have a 16 percent lower chance of dying from cancer.
The researchers emphasize that by optimism they mean "the general expectation that something good will happen".
Study co-author Dr. Caitlin Hagan says that writing down or thinking about good, positive outcomes and aspects of life can be a simple way to improve our health.
Previous research has shown that positive people have a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, regardless of the person's age, socioeconomic status, whether the person is a smoker or not, and whether they are overweight.
In general, scientists say, positive people are 50 percent healthier than pessimists, reports Mondo.
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