Contrary to the widely held notion that religion is nothing more than a bunch of
myths and fairy tales that weak people turn to for comfort, some doctors are now saying a
belief in God can be good for your health.
Over the past decade, medical researchers have reported a statistically significant
5 association between health and religion : People who pray, meditate, and go to church are
not only more resistant to disease but live longer and recover from operations more quickly.
Adolescents who have strong religious ties experience 40-60 percent fewer problems with
drugs and premarital sex.
David Larson, M.D., president of the National Institute for Health - care Research,
10 and researchers Mary Milano and Constance Barry have analyzed scientific data on the
effects of religion in a number of areas, including substance abuse, heart disease, surgery,
marital relations, and suicide. Encouraging religious commitment, they say, could offer a
multifaceted way of reducing expenditures for treatment of addictions and mental disorders,
leading to shortened hospitalizations through faster recovery rates and decreased need for
15 expensive prescription drugs.
Larson and associates suggest that spirituality should play a greater part in the care
and prevention of physical and mental disorders. Yet, the beneficial health effects of religious
commitment have been virtually ignored by most in the medical community.