Laughter is the Best Medicine After All

A good bout of laughter every day benefits the heart as it stimulates the blood-flow but depression poses the risk of an early death, new studies show.

BEIJING, Mar. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A good bout of laughter every day benefits the heart as it stimulates the blood-flow while depression poses the risk of an early death, new studies show.

Laughter produced a "magnitude of change ... in the endothelium ... similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic activity, but without the aches, pains and muscle tension associated with exercise, " said Michael Miller, head of a research team at the University of Maryland.

Overall, average blood flow increased 22% during laughter, and decreased 35% during mental stress, Miller said, citing his studies.

Although laughter should not replace exercise, Miller did recommend people try to laugh on a regular basis, say 15 minutes on a daily basis.

Wein Jiang, who led a study of 1 000 heart patients for the University of North Carolina, said that, on the other hand, depression was often linked to unhealthy habits and increased the risk of death by 44%.

But the physiology of laughter's benefits is still unknown, Miller added. Enditem

H/T Dvorak Uncensored

I know laughter sure relaxes your dental patients! And apparently good for the Doc too!