4 Benefits Of Laughter According To Science

Laughter strengthens social and emotional relationships between people. A partner who laughs constantly will probably be more stable. The benefits of laughter range from improving cohesion between people to significantly strengthening health.

There are many myths about the health benefits of laughter, but also studies that support this thesis. Laughing is positive in any circumstance. But from there to pointing out that it cures cancer, as is sometimes said and published, there is a long way to go.

One thing is certain: any pleasant experience has a positive impact on physical health. Emotional balance helps to forge a greater physical balance and vice versa. Therefore, it would be foolish to deny the welfare benefits of laughter. What you should not do is exaggerate them.

The Chinese and the Romans used tickling as a method of torture. They knew that all excess, even laughter, is negative. On the other hand, science has discovered that healthy and frequent laughter does generate great benefits. The following are some of them.

1. Release of endorphins, one of the benefits of laughter

The release of endorphins is the greatest of all the benefits of laughter. Endorphins are known as the hormones of happiness, as they generate a feeling of physical and emotional well-being.

Psychologists Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman, from the University of Kansas, published a study in 2012 on the matter, in the journal Psychological Science . In it, they prove that laughter generates chemical changes in the body and that this gives rise to a feeling of well-being that lasts up to 24 hours.

Laughter has also been shown to cause increased production of dopamine, another substance that contributes to good mood. Simultaneously, it inhibits the production of cortisol , a substance known as “the stress hormone”.

2. Strengthening the cardiovascular system

A study carried out by Professor Michael Miller, from the University of Maryland (United States), points out that another of the benefits of laughter is the strengthening of the cardiovascular system. Miller did an experiment with a group of 20 volunteers to test it.

This group was made to watch a sad movie and then a comic one. After the sad movie, it was evidenced that blood flow was more reduced in 70% of the participants. After watching the comedy, blood flow increased by an average of 20% in all volunteers.

Miller says the best way to take care of your cardiovascular system is to exercise for 30 minutes, at least three days a week, and laugh for 15 minutes daily.

3. Laughter is analgesic

In 1976 a study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Its author was Norman Cousins, who later wrote a book on the subject. In that study, Cousins ​​claimed that he treated a very painful disease (ankylosing spondylitis) with “Hidden Camera” episodes, Marx Brothers videos, and vitamin C.

For her part, psychiatrist Margaret Stuber, from the University of California UCLA, conducted some experiments with children. He asked them to put their hands in ice water. It found that if they were watching funny videos, they tolerated the experience better and felt less stress.

The own production of a greater volume of endorphins causes that the physical pain diminishes. These are considered natural pain relievers. In short, it is basically proven that one of the benefits of laughter is to increase pain tolerance.

4. The immune system and other data of interest

The immune system is one of the most sensitive to changes in mood. Likewise, it is proven that good humor strengthens the body’s defenses. Therefore, laughter is believed to help strengthen the immune system and prevent infection.

There are indications, not conclusive, about other benefits of laughter. It is said to help you lose weight, improve the appearance of the skin, strengthen the respiratory system, prevent insomnia, enhance imagination, improve memory and a thousand other things. Although it is not proven, it is very plausible that it does contribute, in part, to all of this.

Human beings develop the ability to laugh shortly after we are born. Unfortunately, as we grow older we also progressively lose the ability to laugh. While a child laughs on average 300 times a day, adults laugh between 15 and 100 times. Maybe we need to go back to being children from time to time to improve our health.