According to HealthDay News, a recent study discovered that laughter may possibly lower the risk of a heart attack and improve cholesterol levels. For the study, two Californian doctors, Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan, gathered 20 middle aged type 2 diabetics. The average for those in the study was 50. Each participant had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and and were currently on medication to treat both as well as diabetes.
The participants were split into two groups - the control group and the laughter group. Those in the laughter group were instructed to watch something they found funny, most commonly movies and sitcoms, for 30 minutes every day. The study ended after 12 months.
After the study, while the control group only had a 3 percent increase in good cholesterol levels, those in the laughter group had an increase of 26 percent.
"I think its amazing," said Doris Shaw, 58. "It's good to known something as simple as laughing can help. Good thing I do it all the time!" laughed Shaw, a diabetic.
C-reactive proteins, an indication of inflammation associated with heart disease, declined by 66 percent by those in the laughter group. The control group only experienced a decline by 26 percent.
Dr. Berk explains the findings by associating good laughter with an increase of good chemicals in the body. According to HealthDay News, Berk says, "you are decreasing the bad chemicals in your body with laughter, [which] may prevent disease and may well have [additional] value relative to the therapies you are taking."
No comments:
Post a Comment