Laughter, The Best Medicine
Laughing provides a great workout. for a number of muscle groups. You can help defend against illness, and even increase the response of beneficial tumor disease killing cells throughout your whole body. The health benefits also include the reduction of stress hormones and blood pressure as well as increase blood flow and more oxygen to your cells and your organs laughter has also been shown to increase memory intelligence and creativity.
Laughter is just a natural response to stimuli that our personalities tend to find funny whether it’s images sounds physical sensations or memories laughter just feels good.
Many speakers use humor as a way to increase retention of information because the of the h higher number of mental connections between information and laughter. The number of oxygen and T cells are increased through regular amounts of laughter, other sicknesses like respiratory infections and even the common cold can be put to rest and decreased if laughter becomes a regular part of your life.
After we are exposed to something “funny,” a type of electrical current runs through your nervous system and to your brain. The higher brain functions in the left hemisphere decode the words and the structure and a very analytical approach that information, well the more creative right side Or your humor actually gets it. The visual center of our brain can then forms an image of the humor while the emotional system releases chemicals that improve your mood and promote happiness finally our face and motor skills there make us laugh smile or double over for a deep hard laugh.
When you laugh you actually are working your diaphragm and stomach as well as your facial muscles, leg, and back muscles reducing cortisol and adrenaline, which are the stress hormones in your body, can also be reduced through laughter just giving you better health. When you increase your laughter you increase your respiration so you get more blood flow in your brain and throughout your whole body. So in a very general sense laughter is like a painkiller, it reduces stress and anxiety and physical ailments.
Laughing has been shown to actually reduce the levels of certain stress hormones in the body. These are. called immunosuppressant hormones and they can have a harmful effect on your immune system. By reducing the presence and production of the stress hormones through laughing the overall health of a person can be improved.
Laughter can also increase the number of beneficial hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. By increasing the level of endorphins in the body studies have shown that a person’s threshold for pain is increased, making laughter, in a sense, a painkiller of the sort. Endorphins attach to the same receptors in your brain as opiates, or painkillers, making the release of endorphins like a drug experience without side effects along with easing the mood and tension in your body. tension. When you increase neurotransmitters in your brain it is more able to function faster, make connections more quickly and comprehending situations and problems at a higher rate.
Laughing can even help you stay healthy. It’s been studied that laughter can stimulate. body cells to develop at a faster rate by changing the bodies chemistry through hormonal shifts. Because of this, antibodies that are in the body are able to fight off illness and sickness faster. T-cells are white blood cells known as lymphocytes. Studies have shown that T cell efficiency is increased in a person who laughs because they are adding those hormonal advantages to their body.
Let’s all remember that old adage that says it takes more muscles to frown than to smile! Guess what that’s somewhat true! Laughter engages the body’s whole being because muscles are expanding and contracting. That’s why sometimes our stomach hurts slightly after a long bout of laughter.
Laughter has also been shown to fight against cancer by increasing cell production of cancer shrinking cells and helps to regulate cell growth. Laughing every day can keep the doctor away!
If you have high blood pressure try laughing more and watch your blood pressure go down. Studies have shown that healthy laughter causes an increase an arterial blood pressure due to the physical activity and laughter, but that boost is followed by a decrease that goes below the normal resting blood pressure. This is proof that laughter does indeed improve circulation and can reduce blood pressure. Remember blood pressure is one of the major causes of heart disease and cardiac issues for many people.
Hearty laughing causes us to use our respiratory system very quickly and very strenuously for short amount of time. This activity will stimulate an increase in the blood flow because the heart rate is increasing so that increases the amount of oxygen that goes to your brain. These increased oxygen levels to the brain promote a healthier brain because you’re a brain needs oxygen. Also heart activity get a boost from laughter as well because of the high level of oxygen in the lungs during hard episodes of laughter.
One of my favorite reasons for laughing is that not only do you get improved brain function it also improves memory in a different way. Connections and association that the brain is learning can be. made more complex by combining basic learning with an emotional response. By changing the level of. association with different parts of our brain such as pleasure, laughter, logic, reason, remembering facts and recalling details is easier because there are more images in our mind linking it to a memory.
Do you know anybody who is really grumpy? Get them to laugh! Studies have shown that the simple act of laughing or smiling can improve the mood and happiness levels more than any other activity. Laughing has been found to have an analgesic quality that can reduce even unconscious pain which makes you happier. Even if you have to force laughter it’ll improve your mood so even if you don’t have anything to laugh about you will probably be in a better mood just to laugh. You see your brain doesn’t actually know whether it’s genuine or not.and research suggests that a good mood may lead to greater preference for healthy foods over not healthy food.
People who laugh a lot tend to be more creative. By improving your brain health and boosting it’s natural support system, both hemispheres in your brain can work together more efficiency so creativity has a place to bloom and grow.
Although there is no scientific data that shows laughter itself to have any negative effects, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to laugh hard if you’ve just had stomach surgery, that would hurt! So, take caution when visiting your friend in the hospital.
A joyful heart is good medicine so live long, Love much and laugh often.
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