Study Shows a Good Laugh Might Promote Weight Loss?
Most people have experienced a moment that induces laughter so robust that it bring tears, causes stomach muscle contractions and effects breathing. But could you really benefit from incorporating laughter into your diet plan? Dr. Michael Miller, the director at the Center of Preventative Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, discovered that laughing for 15 minutes causes blood vessels to dilate in the same way as engaging in aerobic activity. People are beginning to believe that laughter could be an alternative to physical exercise in maintaining overall health.
Endorphins, cortisol and epinephrine are natural chemicals manufactured in the body. When released, endorphins minimize physical pain and relax muscles. Cortisol increases blood sugar and blocks the immune system. Epinephrine constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate and blood pressure.
A study Dr. Miller conducted in 2005 showed that laughter caused endorphins to rise 27%, human growth hormone levels to rise 87%, while the stress hormone cortisol dropped 39% and epinephrine decreased by 70%. The study also revealed that 10 minutes of laughter caused blood pressure to decrease by 10-20 mm. The doctor suspected that laughter had heart protecting attributes.
In studying various test subjects, researchers determined that when a person laughs, the face and body muscles stretch, the internal body organs move, pulse and blood pressure temporarily rise and oxygen more readily flows throughout the body. Dr. Lee S, Burk, from the Loma Linda University of California studied the effects of laughter in individuals for an entire year, and found that the number of immunity fighting cells and the number of antibodies increased, in addition to increasing the chemical that stimulates the immune system.
When 19 diabetic individuals were provided a meal and subjected to a lecture, no changes were noted. The next day, the same subjects were provided the same meal, but were exposed to the same amount of time in a comedic environment. Researchers found that blood sugar levels of the participants had dropped. A similar effect is realized following exercise. At Vanderbuilt University, researcher Maciej Beichowski discovered that after 10-15 minutes of sustained laughter, individuals burned 50 calories.
In 2009, Dr. Miller evaluated 150 people with a history of heart disease and 150 people without heart disease. Using a survey designed to discern temperament, he discovered that persons with heart disease viewed overall life with very little humor. Whether these patients were somber due to heart conditions or other circumstances is inconclusive. Comparatively, were the 150 individuals without histories of heart disease healthy because they possessed a sense of humor?
The National Institute of Health does not at this time deem research on laughter a priority, as such, funding for future studies are limited. What do you think about going out of your way to giggle?
Written by Ernesto MartinezRelated posts:
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