Healthy Benefits of Laughter
Posted by Dez | Posted in health, laughter | Posted on 9/17/2009 10:09:00 AM
Laughter is the best medicine
As the saying goes. When was the last time you did laugh? How do you feel after? Do you love it?
According to wikipedia :
Laughter is an audible expression or appearance of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy (laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a physiological reaction) from jokes, tickling, and other stimuli. Inhaling nitrous oxide can also induce laughter; other drugs, such as cannabis, can also induce episodes of strong laughter. Strong laughter can sometimes bring an onset of tears or even moderate muscular pain.
Effects of Laughter
- Increase blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center measured the blood-moving capacity of arteries after volunteers watched humorous or stressful films. After volunteers laughed through scenes from There’s Something About Mary, their arteries expanded, but they constricted after viewing battle scenes form Saving Private Ryan. And in a small one-year study of heart-attack patients, those who watched comedies for 30 minutes a day were less likely to suffer a second heart attack than those who did not watch funny videos.
- Lower blood sugar. People with type 2 diabetes maintain better blood sugar-control after watching comic performances, research suggests. A Japanese study of 10 people with the condition showed that this may be a result of the beneficial changes in immune regulation that prevent damaging inflammation from undermining blood-sugar control.
- Regulate the immune system. In a small study, laughter significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory-triggering cytokines in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Other research suggests that after viewing humorous films, people with asthma become more resistant to flare-ups, those with allergies suffer fewer symptoms, and children with allergic skin rashes sleep more easily. A good laugh might also stimulate production of disease-fighting T cells and natural killer cells.
- Burn calories. Laughing boosts energy expenditure by 10 to 20 percent, according to Vanderbilt University researchers. They calculated that 15 minutes of hearty laughter could burn up to 40 calories, enough to shed more than four pounds a year if done daily.
- Ease pain. Laughter contracts and relaxes muscles in the abdomen, face, and shoulders, which might ease muscle tension and spasms that contribute to pain. And the temporary distraction helps, too.
- Watch or listen to funny TV shows, movies, and radio programs. There are lots of comedies out there, at the theater, on video, and right on your TV or radio. You can also read humorous books. Ask friends to suggest their favorite laugh riots.
- Get social. A study published in 1989 showed that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings than when they are alone. Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. Just having other people around may mean you’ll laugh more than you otherwise would. Dinner parties, game nights, and other social events are more ways to help you laugh a little more.
- Look for humor in your life. By looking for humor in everyday experiences, even the frustrating ones, you may find yourself being more lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about.
- Spend more time with children. Children are natural comics. They laugh easily, and laughter is contagious. Of course, their behavior is often unintentionally funny, too. Pets are a laugh-promoting alternative to children.
- Fake it. Even if your laughter is not totally genuine, you may still be able to get health benefits from it. And sometimes, pretending to laugh can progress to real laughter. This principle lies behind a practice called “yogic laughter” or “laughing meditation,” which was developed by a physician in India, Dr. Madan Kataria. He started a number of “laughing clubs” throughout India. There are now 5,000 of these laughing clubs in over 40 countries.
Source: HERE
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