Religion, spirituality influence health in different but complementary ways

Of course, these are averages and trends, and would not hold for everybody.

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2014/mar/religion-spirituality-influence-health-different-complementary-ways

03/27/2014

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health, new research from Oregon State University indicates.

“Religion helps regulate behavior and health habits, while spirituality regulates your emotions, how you feel,” said Carolyn Aldwin, a gerontology professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU.

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Religiousness, including formal religious affiliation and service attendance, is associated with better health habits, such as lower smoking rates and reduced alcohol consumption. Spirituality, including meditation and private prayer, helps regulate emotions, which aids physiological effects such as blood pressure.

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