Is Religion Good for Your Health?

By Richard Besser 

Faith and medicine frequently intersect. My patients and I often talk about spirituality when we discuss medical issues. For many people, life-and-death decisions are grounded in a belief that a higher being will guide the outcome as much, or more than, the physicians and treatments involved. In addition, a support system based on shared faith can be extremely helpful in the healing process. Ministries frequently offer assistance programs and have relationships with social workers to counsel and provide services for those in need.
Not long ago, while reading the newspaper, I began thinking about the relationship of health and religion in an entirely new way, one that involves using religious tenets to promote a healthful lifestyle every day, not just in times of crisis. I saw an obituary for Lester Breslow, a true pioneer in public health. It was fitting that a man who dedicated his life to understanding what drives longevity lived to the ripe old age of ninety-seven. There are many important lessons to be learned from his extensive body of research. Breslow, a public health leader for over seventy years, was instrumental in first connecting smoking to lung diseases, particularly cancer. But that's not all. He demonstrated an association between longevity and health quality through a set of seven behaviors (known as the Alameda 7, for the California county in which they were identified): Not smoking; sleeping seven to eight hours per night; eating regular meals; maintaining a moderate weight; eating breakfast; drinking in moderation; and exercising at least moderately.

What really caught my eye was that Dr. Breslow was still at work well into his nineties. In 2010, Breslow, then ninety-five, was a coauthor of a twenty-five-year study of a group of California Mormons. This study, written with Professor James E. Enstrom of the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that the life expectancy of Mormon men was almost ten years longer than that of the general population of white American males. Female Mormons lived between five and six years longer than their general population counterparts. The longevity effect was most pronounced for those who never smoked, went to church weekly, had at least twelve years of education, and were married. Additional benefits were seen in those who were not overweight, got plenty of sleep, and exercised. The authors attributed the added years to the Mormons' healthy doctrines: Eating a well-balanced diet and eschewing tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs. They found similar benefits among Americans of any religion who practiced the same healthy behaviors.
There has long been a correlation between being a churchgoer and longevity, but it has been difficult to tease out the basis of that relationship. The link to better health was partially attributed to self-selection. Religious people were the type of people who would practice behaviors favorable to more healthful living and thus live longer. Studies found that churchgoers were less likely to engage in high-risk health behaviors such as smoking and excessive drinking. After all, getting up bright and early for church Sunday mornings does hamper Saturday night binging. Being able to travel to church might also be a marker for mobility and healthfulness, rather than its cause.

There are also many beneficial spiritual aspects to consider. The meditative nature of religious services can lower stress levels. Many services preach love, forgiveness, hope, and optimism, which foster a positive outlook on life that can translate into good emotional health. Many sermons address the importance of giving thanks, and we know that gratitude can be very important for mental health. In addition to religious leaders providing counseling, some religions incorporate confession, which can help unburden congregants from emotional distress. These are all things that might be good for your health.
Now, I'm not a religious person and I've yet to see any convincing studies that compare the belief systems of various religions and their impact on health. However, I know from experience that for some people the belief in a higher power is incredibly important in helping them cope with a serious illness. It is what gets them through tough times. For others, it is the sense of community, the group aspect of organized religion that has a big impact on their health. Alternatively, I see atheists who get great support through other means, including their understanding of the natural workings of the world. And clearly you don't need to be religious to practice the healthful principles laid out by many of the world's religions. Those should apply to everyone.

Dr. B's Bottom Line:
Practicing the health tenets espoused by many religions are associated with a longer life. And you know what? You don't need to be religious or believe in God to follow them!
Keeping the Faith
Even if you aren't religious, it's worth embracing some philosophies espoused by many faith-based organizations that are good for your health and the health of others:
Find a loving relationship and stick with it.
Support those around you in their times of need.
Give thanks for what you have. There are many benefits of being grateful. It has been shown to strengthen social bonds and makes people more likely to want to help us again. There is also promising evidence linking practicing gratitude to better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and less stress.
Stay in school. Education is good for your health.
Treat your body like a temple. Eat right, get regular exercise, get a good night's sleep, don't smoke, and if you drink, do so in moderation.
Excerpted from Dr. Besser's new book, "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor," which hits stores April 23. Pre-order the book at Barnes & Noble, Amazon or your local independent bookseller.

Iran confirms secret nuclear 'Quds' site

by Reza Kahlili 

Iran has inadvertently confirmed WND’s report that the Islamic regime is working on nuclear weapons at a secret facility known as “Quds,” a name synonymous with the Arabic word for “Jerusalem.”
A WND report on March 20 and a follow-up in the Washington Times the next day revealed that Iranian scientists are trying to perfect nuclear warheads at the underground site, which is unknown to the West. The coordinates to this vast site and detailed information about the regime’s secret operation were provided to WND by a high-ranking Iranian intelligence officer assigned to the Ministry of Defense.

Read the electrifying, award-winning story of Iranian insider turned CIA spy, Reza Kahlili’s “A Time to Betray.”
Golpanews, which is associated with the Defense Ministry and is managed by Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, who heads the office of the supreme leader, published an article on Saturday under the headline, “New claim by America about revelation of Quds secret nuclear facility in Iran.”
The article quotes the information that appeared on WND: Satellite images reveal the existence of the secret Quds site, indicating Iran, with North Korean help, clearly crossed the red line and is in the final stage of arming its missiles with nuclear warheads; and Iran not only has made great progress in enriching uranium to weapons grade, but also has succeeded in converting the highly enriched uranium to metal, a key step in making nuclear warheads.
Although Golpanews calls the revelation the “West’s imaginary stories on Iran’s nuclear activities,” the report verifies the site by stating, “It is clear that the claim by anti-revolutionaries about the existence of the secret nuclear site, Quds, if correct, is nothing more than the situation with the Parchin site and that the Islamic Republic, based on its international obligations, is only after the science of enrichment and the usage for peaceful nuclear energy.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly requested inspection of the Parchin military site, where it is believed the regime has tested nuclear bomb components. The regime replied that military sites are off-limits and has stonewalled the IAEA for over a year while satellite images show a great effort to clean up the area.
Golpanews, with its connection to the highest levels of the Iranian government, is laying the groundwork for calling Quds a military site and therefore not accessible for inspection by the IAEA.

Shahab 3 missile

Also yesterday, Mashregh News, which is run by the Revolutionary Guards, bragged about Iran’s missile might and how missiles will rain down on Israel. Mashregh inadvertently revealed images of mobile missile-launching vehicles for the upgraded Shahab 3 missile, which explains the missile depots and garages at the secret Quds site. Hundreds of these mobile vehicles can launch ballistic missiles concurrently at any one target.


Quds consists of three facilities:

• The first is where the regime’s scientists are enriching uranium to weapons grade. They already have enough plutonium for several bombs and are in the last stage of putting together a nuclear warhead. This site is called “Quds” after Jerusalem, as they believe soon Israel will be destroyed and Jerusalem restored to Muslim rule.
• The second, which makes missile warheads, is dubbed “Marty Mughniyah” after the Hezbollah terrorist who, under the command of the regime, conducted multiple terrorist acts that killed hundreds of Americans and Israelis.
• The third facility is a vast site that houses over 380 missile depots and launching pads.

GoogleEarth 02-2013 Image, Quds secret nuclear facility

David Trachtenberg, who has 30 years of experience in the national security policy field and who served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense, reviewed the imagery with a colleague with extensive knowledge of imagery.
“[The satellite images] suggest the possibility that Iran may in fact be further along in its nuclear weapons program than is generally assumed,” he said. “It is clear they have gone to great lengths to bury and protect high-value assets at this site, which also complicates the possibility of direct military action and illustrates the risks of allowing years to pass while hoping diplomacy will work.
“An accelerating train is harder to slow and takes longer to stop. These images reinforce my concern that Iranian nuclear progress is accelerating,” Trachtenberg said. “The more emphatically the U.S. declares its determination to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state, the harder it may be to ensure that outcome.”
“Reza Kahlili (who wrote the article revealing the Quds site) has provided the West with one of the most critical pieces of evidence of the Iranian government’s drive to break out its nuclear development into a fully operational capability,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney (Ret.). “All the red lines have been crossed. Beware America, Israel and the West, a nuclear Iran is here!”


GoogleEarth 12-2012 image, a close-up shot of missile depots/garages

GoogleEarth 02-2013 image, Missile depots/garages - The top left one not yet covered clearly showing the space for a mobile missile launch, like that of the Shahab 3

McInerney for 35 years served as a pilot, commander and strategic planner in the U.S. Air Force, including as deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, and also as vice commander in chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, a congressional advisory board, and who has served on the staffs of the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, the House Armed Services Committee and in the CIA, also reviewed the imagery and information from the source.
“This open-source analysis by itself illustrates that Iran is very serious about building survivable facilities for its nuclear enterprise,” said Pry. “If the Obama administration does not know about this facility, it explodes their credibility. If the Obama administration does already know about this facility, it raises even more serious questions. Have they told Congress about this enormous, heavily defended underground complex and its purpose? Why have they not told the American people? Did the president discuss this matter with Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu – along with his public claim that Iran is ‘more than a year away’ from a nuclear capability?

“Either way,” Pry concluded, “a nuclear Iran is such a grave threat to U.S. and global security that, at minimum, Congress should hold hearings on this matter, find out what the administration really knows and does not know, and whether their judgment about the ‘nuclear red line’ can be trusted to predict when it is about to be crossed.”
Ambassador Hank Cooper and Fritz Ermarth, experienced national security experts who played prominent roles in achieving victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, reviewed the imagery on the new underground facility and the intelligence provided by the source. They both agreed with Pry’s assessment and called for congressional hearings. They believe such hearings should also seek to understand Iran’s underlying goals, its strategy to achieve those goals and appropriate U.S. policies and strategy to counter Iran.
Cooper led arms control negotiations with the U.S.S.R. during the nuclear and space talks and was director of the Strategic Defense Initiative. As an engineer, he helped design hardened underground systems. Ermarth served as chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which writes the National Intelligence Estimates, the most important analytical products of the intelligence community, and served as a special adviser to President Reagan.

Comcast Cable Bans All Firearm, Ammunition Advertisers

by AWR Hawkins
Comcast Cable, “the nation’s largest cable provider,” has decided it will not accept firearm and ammunition advertisers in the future.
This decision comes after Comcast has been running ads for some gun and hunting groups for decades. Comcast chose this new position after purchasing NBCUniversal, which has a long-standing ban against firearm, ammunition and firework advertisements. This move brings Comcast in line with its competitors, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications.
Cox already had a ban similar to the one Comcast has now instituted and Time Warner Cable announced in January that it was banning "ads showing semi-automatic weapons and guns pointed at people."
Gun control advocates praise Comcast's "brave move," while gun store owners say their profession has been unjustly singled out by Comcast.