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Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit
saps a person's strength.
(nlt)
The Week magazine, March 25, 2005:
"Laughter is good for your
health—and now scientists know why. Researchers at the
University of Maryland found that when 20 healthy volunteers
smiled and guffawed while watching the comedy, Kingpin, their
blood flow increased by 22 percent, about the same increase
caused by aerobic exercise. But when volunteers watched
tension-filled scenes from Saving Private Ryan, their blood flow
decreased 35 percent.
"The researches say that laughing apparently causes the
endothelium, the tissue that lines blood vessels, to expand,
which increases blood flow. Laughter may also improve arterial
heath by reducing mental stress, which constricts vessels and
cuts blood flow. A healthy lifestyle—researcher Michael Miller
tells New Scientist—would include 30 minutes of exercise three
times a week, and 15 minutes of hearty laughter each day." |
