YOU Docs Daily The online edition of their daily newspaper column
There’s Something Funny Going On (And It’s Making You Healthy)
Laugh, and you may keep your arteries healthy. Why? Cracking up relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow -- the exact opposite of what happens when you’re tense. When people with normal blood pressure watch a funny movie, their blood flow increases by about 20%. But when they watch an intense, violent film, they get stressed out, their blood vessels constrict, and their blood flow decreases by about 35%. (So much for last year’s grim Oscar winner!)
Another reason to laugh all you can: Bum moods increase cortisol levels, the bad-boy stress hormone that increases fat accumulation in your belly and makes your kidneys retain salt and water, which boosts your blood pressure. So whether you’re renting a comedy or TiVo-ing an old episode of The Lucy Show, pay zero attention to anyone who says, “Get serious.”
If you’ve seen all the humor flicks you can handle for the moment, a funny friend is at least as good -- and may even help keep you slim: A good chortle increases the number of calories you burn, according to one study. The researchers estimated that if you spend 10 to 15 minutes a day laughing, you can burn up to 40 extra calories. Not a ton. But, hey, every little waist-shrinking bit adds up.
All of which explains one of our favorite health factors: Frequent laughter can make your RealAge (that’s your biological -- not your calendar -- age) up to 8 years younger. So TiVo Leno, Stewart, or Letterman with wild abandon.
YOU DOCS DAILY PODCASTS
