Scientists from the University of Toronto (Canada) and Porto Alegre Clinical Hospital (Brazil) found that laughter reduces stress and strengthens the heart. Research results published In PLOS One (Public Library of Science).
To evaluate the impact of laughter on human health, scientists analyzed previous studies on this topic. The new study is based on four randomized controlled trials (participants are randomly assigned to an experimental or control group) and four quasi-experiments (an experiment without intervention from scientists).
It turns out that laughter reduces the level of cortisol in the blood. This is a hormone produced in the adrenal cortex. It regulates stress in the body, affects blood pressure levels, protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Stress is a natural reaction of the body to various negative environmental factors. Moderate levels of stress are beneficial and help people perform daily tasks. But too much stress causes various psycho-emotional disorders, memory problems and decreased performance. Studies have shown that even short bursts of laughter have a positive effect on the psyche.
In addition, scientists have found that laughter has a cardioprotective effect (protects the heart) and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Most likely, the body of a person who laughs produces compounds that reduce inflammation and relax the heart muscle and blood vessels.
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