Dr Michael Mosley says one lifestyle change can protect you from one of ‘world’s biggest killers’

Dr Michael Mosley says that one lifestyle change could help your heart, improve your mental health, and boost your chances against one of the world’s ‘biggest killers’. High blood pressure is responsible for approximately 75,000 deaths every year in the UK, and is the third-biggest risk factor for all disease after smoking and poor diet.

The good news is that one simple change – which only needs to be done once a month – could significantly lower your blood pressure. Not only that, but other people benefit from it too.

Dr Mosley is talking about volunteering. While it may not sound as glamourous as a magic health food or calorie-busting exercise, it can have a significant impact on your health.

And Dr Mosley should know. Two years ago, he and his family volunteered to take in four Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion – and they still live with them now.

“Regular volunteering can be really good for you and community,” the TV wellness guru says. “It can lift your mood, help your heart, and help others.

“One way volunteering may help increase healthy life is by lowering blood pressure – one of the world’s biggest killers. Helping others can help lower chronic inflammation and strengthen heart health.

“A 2016 study involving more than 7,000 older Americans found those who volunteered spent 38 per cent fewer nights in hospital. A follow-up study in 2020 found as little as two hours of volunteering a week was linked to a lower risk of an early death and an improved sense of well-being compared to those who don’t volunteer.”

Another American study followed two groups of adults for four years, none of whom had high blood pressure to being with. Those who reported volunteering for about four hours a week were 40 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure at the end of the study.

Interestingly, research suggests motive might be important. Those who want to help others tend to live longer and gain more benefits than those who simply volunteer for the sake of it. It suggests altruism might be an important factor in how volunteering benefits our health.

Some people question whether it is the case that those who are more inclined to volunteer are already more healthy. But Dr Edith Chen, from Northwestern University in the US, has studied volunteering extensively and says that is not the case.

Another US study of high school students showed those that volunteered had lower levels of obesity, cholesterol and inflammation after helping out even after taking their pre-existing baseline levels into account.

“The idea is that it is an effect that comes through the psycho-social benefits of volunteering that then translate into physiological and physical health effects through mind-body relationships,” she said.

“In the intervention group, the biggest decreases in negative mood also showed the biggest drop in inflammation – it puts people in a better mood and that is linked to lower inflammation. Also, greater feelings of empathy showed the greatest inflammation decreases.”

She added that it was not yet known if more personal volunteering was more beneficial than volunteering which had less human-to-human contact – although she did say giving your time rather than money was the better option.

Dr Chen stressed different things worked for different people and volunteering was not easy as people have such busy lives. However, she said it would likely benefit your health if you could make volunteering a regular habit – even if it was just once a month.