Molecules of Emotions: Understanding How Your Feelings Affect Your Health and Well-being

Would you believe, it if I told you that molecules of emotions can affect your physical health?

Well, new research states that the chemicals in our body form a dynamic network that connects our mind and body. Thus, our thoughts, feelings, and emotions have a great influence on our well-being. 

The mind-body debate has been an ongoing topic for centuries. The question is – does our mental health have any effect on physical health? For example, can suppressing our anger or suffering from depression can manifest into physical disabilities?

Several pieces of research have drawn a positive association between mental state and physical state. Breakthrough research in psychoneuroimmunology revealed that the brain, the immune system, and the glands in our body can communicate with each other. And these messages which are stimulated by our emotions can play a vital role in regulating our health.

Also Read: How Yoga changes your brain

Ayurvedic views on the molecules of emotions

Ayurveda highly speaks about the mind-body-spirit connection. Vedic science defines health not as the absence of disease, but as the holistic well-being of our mind and body. Thus, the Ayurvedic approach to healing is not treating the symptoms, but it takes into account the body, mind, and spirit as a whole!

Ayurveda considers even minor disturbances in the mind to be deeply influential, with the potential to compromise the quality of our lives and to cause any number of diseases—physical and otherwise.

But Western science classified mind and body as two separate entities. In the 17th century, famous philosopher René Descartes split mind and body into two entirely different spheres. She categorized the body under science and the mind under metaphysics. After centuries, it was Candace Pert’s revelations, the mother of psychoneuroimmunology, that connected the mind and body as one holistic entity. She applies the concepts of psychoneuroimmunology connecting the faint dots between drugs, diseases, dreams, and molecular biology.

Also Read: How to overcome PTSD

What Molecules of Emotions Mean?

Candace Pert, an American neuroscientist who discovered endorphins, the happy hormones secreted in your brain, revealed in her famous book ‘Molecules of Emotions’, that our emotions play a key role in regulating our physical health. Pert’s revelations motivated people to understand their feelings and analyze the connection between their minds and bodies.

New research reveals that peptides that course through our bodies are nothing but molecules of emotions. Emotions, which are largely ignored in modern medicine, are key to understanding the connection of mind and body, and how one can affect the other.

Our body’s reactions are mainly triggered by our emotions. For example, feelings of embarrassment can dilate our blood vessels, and this, in turn, turns our cheeks red. Similarly, the molecules of emotions can stimulate immune cells to destroy a tumor. Research shows that the techniques of meditation or visualization may act as forces to set these molecules into action. 

Buy – Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine 

The scientific explanation for molecules of emotions

According to Pert’s explanation, the cells in our body have receptors. A variety of peptides, including endorphins, work as a messenger in our body. These messengers can attach themselves to these receptors in our cells and they can affect our mind, emotions, immune system, digestion, and all other bodily functions simultaneously.

Pert says that the different parts of our body can communicate with each other with these chemical messages. It’s a two-way conversation. That means our stomach can talk to our brain and the brain can forward the messages to the pancreas.

Pert further says that emotions are nothing but neuropeptides. Researchers have identified about 50 neuropeptides that include insulin, and substance P which have been associated with pain and inflammation. This peptide is found in arthritis patients. Pert says that each of these neuropeptides represents a different emotion. And your emotional state can affect a bunch of these neuropeptides.

The interesting fact is that neuropeptides not only work on different parts of the body but are also produced outside the brain in the white blood cells of our body. They can move easily throughout the body and impact our overall functionality.

Also Read: Train your brain to be happier

Molecules of Emotions to Treat AIDS

Research suggests that these molecules of emotions can be a potential non-toxic cure for AIDS. Pert and her husband, immunologist Michael Ruff, discovered that a peptide could mimic that part of the HIV virus that attaches the virus to cell receptors. Thus, this peptide can block the virus from entering a cell. This research was earlier dismissed but lately, this topic has gained interest. Even mainstream AIDS researchers are backing this line of treatment as it is a much safer alternative to using conventional toxic drugs.

Your takeaway!

For centuries Ayurveda has prescribed holistic lifestyle, dietary, and herbal prescriptions to correct the imbalances of our mind and body. 

For example, a chronic lifestyle disease like diabetes can affect your mood, and mood disorders including stress is a big contributor to diabetes. Similarly, the modern epidemic of cancer can be caused by emotional triggers like stress and depression. Whereas, endorphins, the happy hormones, a type of peptide, can stimulate the white blood cells to fight tumors.

In conclusion, the mind and body are not two separate entities as treated in modern medicine. But every emotion, every feeling, every single thought, impacts our body. This will open up a wide realm of treatment that would be focused on the power of emotions to heal the body.

As for now, you can practice meditation, and yoga, and focus on the happy emotions and your physical health will be back on track!