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LAUGHTER AND HEART HEALTH

Forget an apple a day. There’s new research that examines the health benefits of laughter, and shows that a good old guffaw can be terrific for your cardiovascular health.
We all know it makes us feel better, but now scientists have looked closely at the health benefits of laughter, and found that a hearty jiggle of the belly can be very beneficial for your heart.

To test the health benefits of laughter scientists at the University of Maryland tested the blood vessels of twenty healthy patients after they watched a comedy and a drama.
They found that laughing dramatically improved the working of the endothelium, the lining of the blood vessels. They dilated better and blood flow improved 22%.
The reverse was true of the drama. The vessels constricted and blood flow decreased 35%.
Dr. Michael Miller, the study researcher, said, “We’ve known for quite some time that mental stress may be associated with increased likelihood of heart disease and heart attacks. We have less information on positive influences such as laughter.” Miller was surprised by his results, which are a striking case for the health benefits of laughter. “There’s likely a stronger heart and mind connection than we’ve previously appreciated.”
Kelly Miller is a cardiology fellow at the hospital, and participated in the study. “It is not well known at all what happens to your vascular health when you are laughing, and when you’re in a good mood. This study was important in trying to answer that question,” Kelly says.
The researchers now say that 15 minutes of laughter a day may go along way toward good health.
The researchers say that while they don’t have enough data to say definitively that laughing will help you live longer, it certainly can’t hurt, and this research is evidence that being in a good mood does have a direct impact on the blood vessels.
So just like those of us who don’t exercise and eat well, maybe those of us who don’t get our daily chuckle also need to be warned. With the increasing understanding of the health benefits of laughter, perhaps the joke has been on us all along.

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