Health care and healing are one of the central beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that a person's spiritual and physical well-being are closely linked and part of a holistic human life. Since the mid-19th century, the Adventist church has been a pioneer in health promotion, advocating balanced nutrition, moderation, abstinence from addictions, and the balancing influence of nature in daily life. Today, the Adventist philosophy of health has influenced millions of people around the world.
Ellen White and the Development of Adventist Health Care
As early as 1863, Ellen White, co-founder of the Adventist Church, was instructing the church on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The central idea of her message was the connection between physical well-being and mental health. In 1866, the early Adventist Church established the Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William helped develop breakfast cereal and peanut butter.
Ellen White was a lifelong health advocate for the church. Before medical evidence proved the harmfulness of smoking, she warned of its dangers and questioned the use of alcohol and toxic drugs, such as arsenic and mercury. She advised against drinking tea, coffee, and stimulants. She advocated a lacto-vegetarian diet and emphasized the importance of clean water, fresh air, adequate exercise and rest, faith, sunlight, honesty, and social support. These principles continue to be the foundation of Adventist health education.
Impact on society and freedom from addictions
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Adventist Church was one of the first to initiate a smoking cessation program, known as the Five-Day Plan to Quit Smoking, which later evolved into the “Breathe Free” program and is implemented in many countries today. The church has always promoted moderation and the avoidance of alcohol.
Time magazine (1966) named Adventist health research (Adventist Health Studies) results were labeled “Adventist Advantage” because they showed reduced cancer risk and cirrhosis of the liver. Subsequent studies have shown that the Adventist lifestyle significantly extends life expectancy. NIH funded $29 million Adventist Health Survey II (AHS-2), focusing on cancer disparities between Adventists and the rest of the population.
Studies on longevity
In November 2005, National Geographic featured the secrets of longevity, in which the Adventist lifestyle received attention. Dan Buettner later wrote the book “Blue Zones,” which discusses areas where people live actively into their 80s, 90s, and 100s. Adventist longevity has been confirmed in many parts of the world, proving the benefits of their holistic lifestyle.
In 2009, US News & World Report posted an article titled “10 Habits That Will Help You Live to 100!” where number 8 said: “Live like a Seventh-day Adventist. Adventists in the United States live an average of 89 years, about 10 years longer than the average American. One of the tenets of their faith is to respect the body as a gift from God—that means no smoking, no alcohol, and no overeating. They follow a vegetarian diet and pay close attention to family relationships and community.“
Global impact in the field of health
The Adventist Church has 6 medical schools, over 70 nursing schools, and 650 hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, employing over 250,000 people. Each year, 19 million outpatients and 1.5 million inpatients are served. Charitable health care reaches $1.1 billion annually.
The church collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), focusing on reducing maternal mortality in Africa, among other things. Global health conferences, in which WHO and PAHO have been active partners, confirm Adventist commitment to health promotion.
References:
DE Robinson, The Story of Our Health Message, Southern Publishing Association, 1965
Time magazine, October 28, 1966
Gary E. Fraser, Diet, Life Expectancy, and Chronic Disease: Studies of Seventh-day Adventists and Other Vegetarians, Oxford University Press, 2003
Dan Buettner, The Secrets of Long Life, National Geographic, November 2005
USNews & World Report, February 20, 2009
