“Laughter is the best medicine”. While this famous quote feels like a cliché, science is providing us with studies that back this up.

Not only laughter boosts our mood, it also boosts our health by alleviating pain.

There are even several laughter types that correlate with different social and emotional states. Some of these are conspiratorial laughter, gallows humor, and nervous laughter.

But the one that is the most beneficial to us is the laugh that stems from the heart and soul. This is the type of laughter that signifies the celebration of life.

6 Effects Laughter Has On Our Physical And Emotional Health:

1. Joyful laughter is therapeutic.

Studies showed that a joyful laughter has therapeutic effects on physical health and the emotional well-being.

It promotes an ’emotional reciprocity’ where we feel we’re creating a strong bond with others.

2. Laughter therapy creates a happy and successful life.

Famous writer Norman Cousins attributed his happiness, success, and the length of his life to laughter therapy.

Diagnosed with a painful and debilitating spinal condition in the 1960’s, Cousins believed that stress contributed to his illness. To get better, he used positive emotions in a focused way.

This involved watching comedies on TV and striving to laugh at least 10 minutes a day. True enough, Cousins was able to achieve a pain-free sleep.

Laughter is like a drug that can produce a natural high. A European study found laughter triggered an opioid-like release in the pleasure centers of the brain.

Moreover, the subjects’ pain thresholds were significantly increased after having a good laugh by watching comedy shows according to researchers.

3. Laughter yoga lowers the risk of illness.

A study of pediatric patients found that laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Having a high level of cortisol is likely to lead to diseases like anxiety and depression.

Not only that, laughter also stimulates the production of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin, which are the hormones associated with the reduction of pain and stimulation of happier mood.

4. Laughter improves symptoms.

An hour of laughter therapy per week accompanied by breathing exercises, stretching, and meditation improved the symptoms of hemodialysis patients according to one study.

Laughter yoga also helped in elevating the mood of people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease.

On the other hand, a Japanese study found that those who never or almost never laugh had a 60% greater risk of stroke and 21% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

5. Laughing regularly regulates memory.

Along with having a better memory, laughing regularly also boosts learning and mood while reducing the risk of depression.

6. Laughter is the best medicine with no side effects.

Unlike a conventional medicine, laughter makes you feel good without putting you at risk of possible side effects. Above all, it’s 100% natural.

Even the conventional medical world concludes that laughter is the best medicine accessible by everyone who wants to heal from serious health problems.

So, if you or anyone you know is recovering from an illness or stress, teach them to start learning to laugh from the heart.

And make sure to always surround yourself with positive people whom you’re able to share a good laugh with.

Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2018/02/laughter-has-funny-effect-on-our.html;