Laughter is an instant mood booster and is good for your overall health. So, is laughter really the best medicine?
We are intuitively aware that laughter is one of the best tools for dealing with stress, and science backs that up. Research into laughter has gone further, suggesting that it is a potent drug that has the contagious power of a virus, constituting a slew of benefits for the body as well as the mind. Here are some findings that will convince you to laugh more often.
Potent endorphin releaser
A recent study on laughter reveals that laughing with others results in the release of endorphins in the brain (the feel-good chemicals) via opioid receptors. The more opioid receptors you have in your brain, the more powerful is the impact. Laughter induces euphoria that is familiar to the feeling induced by narcotics.
Laughter forms social bonds.
Laughter is very contagious. One can promote a sense of safety and togetherness by spreading the release of endorphin through groups. Each brain is a transmitter of feelings that triggers the feel-goods in other brains through laughter. It is a lot like a game of endorphin dominoes. Thus, when one person starts laughing, others begin to laugh too, even if they are not certain about what everyone is laughing at.
Boosts immunity
Laughter is associated with health benefits like lower levels of inflammation and improved blood flow. Another research conducted by Western Kentucky University has linked laughter with a boost in immunity. Laughter induces an increased number of natural killer cells which help to combat diseases.
Laughter serves as a coping mechanism.
Laughter in times of hardship always leads to positive results. Studies have reported that 50 per cent of cancer patients use humour as a kind of therapy. Depression, anger, and denial can take away a little piece of a cancer patient with them. But laughter has the power to be open to ideas and can build stronger morale.
Laughter fosters brain connectivity.
All laughter is not the same, and decoding a laugh is more challenging than it may seem. One study revealed the differences in how we perceive, for instance, taunting laughter versus joyous laughter versus tickling laughter; each one activates connections between different regions of the brain. This laughter fosters rigorous connectivity of the brain region that kicks in when we hear a laugh, as our brains work to decipher what sort of communication is coming through.
So next time you feel blue, try laughing it away.
