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Getting angry can be good for you

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03 Jun, 2010

Scientists have found that getting mad from time to time is good for your mental wellbeing.

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While it might be considered socially unacceptable to indulge in Hollywood-style tantrums, researchers have found that letting off steam occasionally is actually good for your emotional health.

A new study shows that the release of anger is associated with increased blood flow to a part of the brain that's associated with happiness, reported UK's Telegraph.

Scientists from the University of Valencia in Spain measured the effect of induced anger in a group of 30 men. The participants' heart rates, blood pressure and levels of the stress hormones (testosterone and cortisol) were measured and their brains were scanned at the start and at the end of the experiment. 

The results showed that anger stimulated the left hemisphere of the brain -- an area which is involved in experiencing positive emotions like happiness and feelings of 'closeness'.

Study author Dr Neus Herrero concluded that anger is linked to changes in the body which control the heart and hormones. 

However, researchers also warn that being angry on a regular basis can have damaging effects on your body -- as it raises your blood pressure levels and heart rates. 

Related links

Cranky teens make anxious adults

Study finds 'empathy gene'

Health & Wellbeing: Work stress bad for your heart

 


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