The Surprising Medical Benefits of Being Generous

News

Comments

Link successfully copied

12/2/2025Updated: 12/2/2025

What if the key to better health wasn’t something you take, but something you give away? It may sound counterintuitive, but science keeps pointing to the same conclusion: Generous people are healthier and happier than those who hold onto everything.

In this video, we explore what researchers have discovered about the biology of giving. From toddler experiments to brain scans of extreme altruists, the findings may challenge everything you assume about self-interest. We cover how generosity can lower blood pressure as effectively as medication, and what’s actually happening in your brain when you help someone else.

Fair warning: not all giving is created equal. We also cover why some forms of generosity backfire, and what makes the difference between giving that lifts you up and giving that drains you.

📖 Sources

🖋️ Toddlers Are Happiest Giving Their Own Treats
https://ept.ms/GoldfishExperiment

🖋️ Toddler Generosity Is Universal (Vanuatu Study)
https://ept.ms/VanuatuStudy

🖋️ Toddler Generosity Is Universal (Netherlands Study)
https://ept.ms/NetherlandsStudy

🖋️ Spending on Others Increases Happiness Globally
https://ept.ms/GlobalHappiness

🖋️ Generosity Benefits Are Consistent Across Cultures
https://ept.ms/CrossCulturalGenerosity

🖋️ Spending on Others Lowers Blood Pressure
https://ept.ms/BloodPressure

🖋️ Generosity Triggers Oxytocin Release
https://ept.ms/OxytocinTrigger

🖋️ Oxytocin Reduces Stress Responses
https://ept.ms/OxytocinStress

🖋️ Generous Acts Buffer Against Acute Stress
https://ept.ms/StressBuffer

🖋️ Generosity Reduces Physical Pain Perception
https://ept.ms/PainRelief

🖋️ Altruists Have Larger Amygdalae for Empathy
https://ept.ms/AltruistBrain