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<p>No one likes getting stuck in a mile-long bottleneck on the freeway when you're going to work. But while traffic jams may make your blood boil a bit, we've got good news: stress brought on by day-to-day events such as your daily commute, cramming for an exam, or preparing for an important presentation can actually help your health, and may even extend your life.</p><p>Skeptical? So were we—but according to a recent study from Ohio State University, mice that experienced short-term stress were better prepared to fight off a flu virus. Other studies have linked short-term stress to a reduced risk of a wide variety of diseases, including heart disease and cancer.</p><p>The results seem counter-intuitive: after all, don't we usually hear that high blood pressure and heart attacks are often brought on by stress? For people with constantly stressful jobs, or difficult family situations, that is indeed the case. But incidents of short-term stress that are quickly resolved have the opposite effect, inspiring the body to quickly repair itself.</p><p>eriodic bursts of stress won't just help you recover more quickly from illnesses, according to Edward Masoro, a physiology professor emeritus at the University of Texas, "it stands to reason that it would slow down aging."</p> |
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