A new study has revealed significant health benefits for those who give gifts. Researchers found that giving gifts leads to a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate among the givers, and it helps maintain the health of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail."
The results of the research published in the journal "Psychophysiology," conducted by psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, indicate that giving Christmas gifts to friends and family may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The scientists recruited 90 college students and initially subjected them to a stressful situation by informing them that they had only a few minutes to prepare a speech to deliver in front of an audience. During this task, the researchers measured the students' heart rates and blood pressure. Following this, half of the participants were told they could choose a gift card to send to anyone they wanted, along with an email explaining their choice of recipient.
The results revealed a significant decrease in heart rate and blood pressure when the stressed students were allowed to send a gift to a family member. In a report on the study's findings, the researchers noted that "social behavior—or the warm glow of giving—can have numerous benefits, as it not only reduces heart rate and blood pressure but also lowers rates of depression and stress."
However, the same study revealed that this strong positive health effect is not felt by the gift recipient themselves.
