Laughter helps against appetite

Study: Laughter should help against loss of appetite and lower blood pressure.

(27.04.2010) Have you laughed heartily today? Laughter and happiness help to bring the emotions into full swing. People just feel comfortable laughing. But the laughter has health-promoting aspects as well. For example, a US study found that laughter helps with loss of appetite. Because laughing, the researchers, increases the concentration of appetite-promoting hormones in the blood. During laughter, the proportion of appetite-stimulating ghrelin in the blood is increased while the level of leptin decreases. Many people are familiar with the opposite phenomenon: If one is very sad, many have little "desire" to eat something. In particular, patients suffering from depression suffer from low social contact and hardly any movement. Especially older patients are affected.

The researchers at Loma Linda University in California showed healthy subjects each an emotionally charged clip and a funny clip during the study. Before the study participants saw the two film clips, the concentrations of the hormones leptin and ghrelin were measured in the blood. Looking at the emotionally moving film "The Private James Ryan," no change in blood could be detected. On the contrary, when watching a funny video clip: The leptin level dropped, at the same time increased the proportion of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. Other positive effects could also be observed, as in previous studies: the body's own immune system was strengthened and blood pressure could be lowered.

With the results, the researchers now hope to help patients suffering from a chronic loss of appetite through a laugh therapy. Laughter therapy could also help people suffering from chronic pain or depression. Naturopathy knows the therapy for a little longer. Laughter therapy can also reduce stress hormones and emotional stress. Today: just once more laughter. (Sm)

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Image: Rainer Sturm, Pixelio.de