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Proofs That Faith Will Help You HealStudies for the SoulLonger LifeA study of 21,000 people in the United States from 1987 to 1995 found a seven-year difference in life expectancy between those who attended religious services more than once a week and those who did not attend at all.Overall HealthIn a research conducted by epidemiologist Jeff Levin, author of God, Faith and Health, older adults who considered themselves religious had fewer health problems and functioned better than their secular peers.Better RecoveryOne study found that spiritual healing has significant impact on heart surgery patients. A 1995 study conducted by Dartmouth Medical found that patients who are comforted by their faith have three times the chance of being alive six months after open-heart surgery than patients who found no comfort in religion.Fewer Heart ProblemsIn a 1997 study in India, Hindus who prayed regularly were 70 percent less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.Lower PressureIn a 1989 study involving 400 Caucasian men in Evans county, Georgia, Duke researchers found a significant protective effect against high blood pressure among those who considered religion very important and who attended church regularly.Mental WellbeingAttendance at the house of worship is related to the rates of depression and anxiety, reported a 1999 Duke University study of nearly 4,000 older adults.Stress ReductionPeople under psychological stress experienced higher blood pressure and breathing rates, strain to the body and lowered immunity, says Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School. He found that prayer, meditation, tai chi and yoga can all lead to a healthy state.Also Read:
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