Laughter
Laughter: The Best Medicine
Laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people emotionally, and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain.
By Hara Estroff Marano, published on April 05, 2005 - last reviewed on June 21, 2005
Laughter, it's said, is the best medicine. And there's lots of evidence that laughter does lots of good things for us.
It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort.
It reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and nondiabetics alike.
It improves your job performance, especially if your work depends on creativity and solving complex problems. Its role in intimate relationships is vastly underestimated and it really is the glue of good marriages. It synchronizes the brains of speaker and listener so that they are emotionally attuned.
Laughter establishes -- or restores -- a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people, In fact, some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together. And all the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates.
Related Articles * Are You Meeting Your Laugh Quota? Why You Should Laugh Like a 5-Year-Old * Champagne Good for the Heart. A Toast to Your Health! * Sports: Psych-up Techniques * Ginkgo: The Brain Booster * A New Look at Older Brains
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Now comes hard new evidence that laughter helps your blood vessels function better. It acts on the inner lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium, causing vessels to relax and expand, increasing blood flow. In other words, it's good for your heart and brain, two organs
Laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people emotionally, and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain.
By Hara Estroff Marano, published on April 05, 2005 - last reviewed on June 21, 2005
Laughter, it's said, is the best medicine. And there's lots of evidence that laughter does lots of good things for us.
It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort.
It reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and nondiabetics alike.
It improves your job performance, especially if your work depends on creativity and solving complex problems. Its role in intimate relationships is vastly underestimated and it really is the glue of good marriages. It synchronizes the brains of speaker and listener so that they are emotionally attuned.
Laughter establishes -- or restores -- a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people, In fact, some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together. And all the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates.
Related Articles * Are You Meeting Your Laugh Quota? Why You Should Laugh Like a 5-Year-Old * Champagne Good for the Heart. A Toast to Your Health! * Sports: Psych-up Techniques * Ginkgo: The Brain Booster * A New Look at Older Brains
Find a Therapist
Search for a mental health professional near you.
-------------------------------------------------
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Find Local: * Acupuncturists * Chiropractors * Massage Therapists * Dentists * and more!
-------------------------------------------------
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Now comes hard new evidence that laughter helps your blood vessels function better. It acts on the inner lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium, causing vessels to relax and expand, increasing blood flow. In other words, it's good for your heart and brain, two organs