Here’s another reason not to get into an argument with your spouse or co-worker: New research has found stressful personal conflicts can activate parts of your immune system, which might make you sick.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, are reporting stress can activate parts of the immune system -- causing inflammation in the body that has been linked to cancer and diabetes.
In the new study, researchers tracked whether the stress of personal conflicts could trigger the release of “cytokines” – substances linked to inflammation.
They asked 122 young adults to complete diaries about their activities over eight days, focusing on negative and positive interactions with other people.
Saliva samples were taken to measure biological markers for inflammation.
The researchers found that cytokine levels went up after arguments and other "negative" interactions
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.