Medical Center Tips

Getting sick is something you wouldn't think you have much control over beyond the obvious things, but is it good for your health to see someone coughing or sneezing? Believe it or not, a research from 2010 suggests that the answer might be yes. Scientists from the University of British Columbia showed students a 10-minute slideshow of sick people to measure their immune system's responses.  What they discovered was that after the sick reel, the participants' white blood cells went into overdrive and began to produce interleukin-6 (IL-6), the same kind of protein a body would produce to fight off infection or combat burns.  The more IL-6 there is, the stronger the body's immune reaction. And if you're wondering if the triggered immune system was just a general response to stress,the answer is not really.  While the participants certainly weren't held at gunpoint, there was a group who got the opportunity to look at pictures of people pointing guns at them,which netted a negligible 6 percent increase in IL-6.  Looking at sickies, on the other hand, resulted in a 23 percent increase.  From an evolutionary standpoint, this sort of makes sense.  If you see your friend falling victim to some disease, your body has to work a little harder to avoid catching the same illness.  So your doctor doesn't really help you by filling the waiting room with pictures of calming landscapes and clowns.  If he wanted to beef up your defenses, the walls would be full of sick people. We made 10 minute slideshow with photos of not really healthy people, so if you want to boost your immune system right now just click here. And of course thanks for watching and subscribe for more videos.