Why Forgiveness Is Good For Your Heart

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By Becky Mollenkamp

Let go of your anger. Your heart may be healthier, and it certainly won't be as heavy.

Most Americans believe that it is very important to forgive, according to a Gallup Poll. But in reality, less than half of us actually try to do so. Maybe more people would give forgiveness a try if they knew the positive benefits of releasing anger.

Forgiveness research is fairly new, but the findings so far are compelling. Anger-prone people were three times more likely to have heart attacks or bypass surgery than less-angry folks, according to a study, published in Circulation magazine, that included 13,000 men and women.

A University of Pittsburgh study of 680 women with chest pain found those who harbored feelings of anger were four times more likely to have unhealthy cholesterol levels and a higher body mass index, both of which are linked to heart disease.

Beth Monroe, a public relations manager in Virginia, knows it doesn’t help to hold a grudge. When she’s cut off in traffic or a co-worker gets under her skin, Monroe thinks of the healing powers of forgiveness. She even found the strength to forgive her ex-husband just before he died of cancer.

“If you don’t forgive, you hurt yourself more than the person who hurt you,” she says. “It’s really in your own best interest to forgive.”

Monroe thinks it also is important to let go of more benign anger, such as frustration with her new husband’s messy habits.

“It’s not just the big issues that can be huge stumbling blocks,” she says. “Even minor things can accumulate and bring down a relationship.”