Everyone agrees that feeling good about ourselves comes from doing a good deed for someone else. Like it or not, that's frequently the motivation for selfless deeds.
It is less often known that being kind to others is healthy. Many global studies support this pleasant truth.
Volunteering reduces early death risk by 24%, according to some research. That's like eating six servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Although correlation does not imply causation, healthier people are more willing to volunteer.
Scientists account for that bias when studying the health benefits of volunteering.
In one Canadian randomized trial, one group of high school students tutored younger children while another was put on a waiting list.
Tutored students had reduced cholesterol and inflammatory indicators like interleukin 6.