Since ancient times, people worldwide have often considered laughter the “best” medicine or at least a natural action that could heal many ills. Modern scientists don’t have a complete understanding yet of why humans started laughing during the evolution of the species. Although laughter has cultural and social links, it also acts as a form of expression related to joy and contentment and a method for coping with uncontrollable mental and physical sensations. Many studies have revealed that laughing directly and positively impacts a person’s health and well-being, especially their cardiovascular, cognitive, endocrine, immune, muscular, and nervous systems.
What happens to your body when you laugh? Our informative guide explores the incredible positive impact that laughter can have on a person’s mental and physical health. Read on to learn more…
Laughter and Physical Responses in the Body
No matter the ways you might laugh, such as a deep, hearty belly laugh, a high-pitched cackle, a chuckle, a giggle, a loud laugh, a long howl, a full roar, a snicker, a snort, a titter or a wheeze, the effect on your body is almost immediate. For example, the pituitary gland in your brain releases endorphins, chemicals classified as hormones, that can help you feel a lot better than you might have felt right before you started laughing. Your heart rate increases and the lungs inhale nearly the same amount or more of oxygen-rich air that you might experience during a typical daily or weekly workout. Your body activates the relaxation-inducing parasympathetic nervous system, which boosts human growth hormone output. HGH aids in metabolic processes, increases strength, burns fat and provides a wide range of other health benefits.
The Health Benefits of Laughter
Nearly every human on the planet’s surface laughs, except anyone who suffers from certain neurologic and other health conditions. Those who can laugh usually experience different types of laughs, as dictated by various situations. Yet, when they laugh in any way, they typically enjoy the same numerous immediate and short-term health benefits as anyone else who can act or express themselves with it.
Consider these four top positive benefits of laughter:
1. Stress Reduction: Endorphins and other hormones that flood the body during and after a laughter event reduce sensations related to feeling stressed and uncomfortable. Laughter decreases the stress hormone cortisol and the fight or flight response. It also makes socialization and the stresses related to being social and interacting with other people easier. As a result, muscles, tendons and different tissues experience a release of tension. Additionally, laughter activates the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system. Dopamine released from within the brain can make you feel elevated, motivated, pleased, relaxed and satisfied. You might also experience overall better cognition, memory and health.
2. Immune System Boost: If you have a dysfunctional or weakened immune system, laughter might give it a slight boost. Beyond triggering biochemicals that boost overall physical health, laughter and general positivity increase the production and release of antibodies that help your body defend against invaders and protect against infection and illness. This process can even reduce inflammation and improve cellular repair processes. The short-term impact on the immune system is similar to the results seen with natural human growth hormone production and treatments.
3. Pain Relief: Beta-endorphins make a person feel lighter and pain-free. They play a role in both mood enhancement and pain relief. These fantastic hormones make you feel pain to a lesser degree by blocking pain receptors and associated signals from reaching the brain. You can prompt your body to release these and other beneficial related hormones through a variety of other activities as well, such as different forms of exercise (i.e., aerobics, cross-fit, sex, stretching and yoga) and mind and sensory therapies (i.e., aroma, biofeedback, light, meditation, sound and taste).
4. Cardiovascular Health: Since laughter increases heart rate, oxygen intake and blood circulation while reducing inflammation, laughing can positively impact cardiovascular health. Any action that improves circulation helps nutrients reach critical areas of the body faster. This process also helps clear waste faster from organs that filter waste, such as the kidneys and liver, and transfer it to the bladder and bowels. After you stop laughing, your heart rate decreases, relaxation sets in, and the experience can even lower your blood pressure to a healthier level.
Speak to a Professional About Hormone Deficiency
Many popular methods exist to introduce or improve your tendency to laugh. You might watch a funny video, share a joke with loved ones, or read humorous books. Some people take the step of practicing laughter. For example, they train their body to laugh when in pain or join a laughter therapy group.
It’s important to note that some people experience hormone growth hormone deficiency, which makes other treatment methods necessary. Although regular laughter improves many aspects of a person’s life and provides even more short-term health benefits than the ones we have listed here, sometimes HGH therapy is the only option for guaranteeing a healthier body and mind. Since laughter isn’t the only method available for releasing hormones, and even mild hormonal issues can cause negative life-altering symptoms, it’s critical to explore possible therapies that treat potential hormone deficiencies and imbalances. Many patients have concerns about HGH therapy costs, which might be quite affordable but always require a prescription. To start, you merely need a prescription and a blood test.
