As committed followers, most of us spend our entire lives going to church. Many of us started this relationship as a child, holding the hands of our parents and it continues even after decades. We all understand that visiting a church on a regular basis does wonders for our spiritual growth. However, not many of us have the slightest idea that church attendance can also benefit our health.
Numerous recent studies have now established the fact that attending church does help the human body in several ways. Many of you would be surprised to know that over 400 papers are published each year on this topic.
According to Radiant Church, the most noteworthy health benefits of church attendance are as follows:
- One of the foremost health benefits of church visit is its ability to relieve stress. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone of the human body that gets released from our adrenal glands lying on the top of the kidneys. When an individual suffers from stress for a prolonged period, the level of cortisol goes excessively high. This can very easily lead to conditions such as diminished memory, dampened immune system, and heart-related Regular church attendance helps manage the stress, and decrease the cortisol level in the body.
- Often referred to as the trust or “feel-good hormone”, oxytocin is part of a group of brain chemicals known as As we get to meet plenty of caring and kind people in the church, the brain starts releasing this chemical. This helps us bond with others and create healthy relationships in the Biblical community.
- It is also said that regular church attendance may thicken our brain. In a recent study, it has been shown that people that value spiritual activities such as going to a church are likely to experience the thickening of some areas of their brains. Several other studies indicate that contemplative as well as reflective spiritual activities help the growth of many other parts of the brain.
- Improved sleep in another important health benefit of attending church. According to the findings of a recent study, there is a serious correlation between church attendance and better sleep. The author of this study claims that compared to less religious individuals, religious adults that visit a church regularly tend to exhibit healthier sleep outcomes.
- A team of Canadian researchers has recently concluded a study revealing that individuals attending church more regularly are likely to experience less depression. This can probably be attributed to the fact that these people are more resilient because of the social support they receive in the church.
- Another similar study indicates that the lifespan for whites attending a church is seven years higher on an average, compared to non-attendees. Also, this increased lifespan was found to be 14 years for African-Americans.
- A study conducted way back in 1998 revealed that the blood pressure of older adults that are religiously active is lower compared to people that are religiously inactive or less active. This study considered individuals to be religiously active if they attended the church frequently, prayed, and studied the Bible.
- Another 2016 study indicated that compared to non-visitors, women attending religious services more than once a week were 33 % less likely to die within the study period. The same percentage was 26% lower for women that attended the church just once a week.
- Finally, it has also been observed that couples attending church together have a more stable and sexually satisfying conjugal life. The Marriage and Religion Research Institute informs that the most sexually satisfied partners within the age group of 18 and 59 are the ones that worship together on a weekly basis.
