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Study Suggests Laughter Is Good For The Heart

A study found that laughter increases blood flow while stressful movies decrease it. Researchers had 20 people watch comedies and war films while measuring blood flow in the arm. Those who watched comedies saw a 22% average increase in blood flow after, similar to exercise, while those who watched war films saw a 35% average decrease. The doctor leading the study suggests 15 minutes of laughter daily but does not advise replacing exercise with laughter.

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169 views5 pages

Study Suggests Laughter Is Good For The Heart

A study found that laughter increases blood flow while stressful movies decrease it. Researchers had 20 people watch comedies and war films while measuring blood flow in the arm. Those who watched comedies saw a 22% average increase in blood flow after, similar to exercise, while those who watched war films saw a 35% average decrease. The doctor leading the study suggests 15 minutes of laughter daily but does not advise replacing exercise with laughter.

Uploaded by

gloria500
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Study Suggests Laughter Is Good for the Heart

The Article
Have you heard the old saying that laughter is the best medicine? Then listen to this. Seriously, research has already shown that mental stress can restrict blood flow to the heart. But now a study has linked laughter to increased blood flow. Laughter appears to cause the tissue inside blood vessels to e pand. !s a result, laughing may be important to reduce the risk of heart disease. So says "octor #ichael #iller of the $niversity of #aryland #edical %enter. He led a study of twenty men and women, all healthy. To get them to laugh, they watched part of the movie &'ingpin,& a nineteen ninety(si comedy. To create the opposite emotions, they watched the opening battle in the nineteen ninety(eight war movie &Saving )rivate *yan.& The researchers used ultrasound technology to measure changes in blood flow through an artery in the arm. Blood flow increased in nineteen of the twenty people after they watched &'ingpin.& The increase was an average of twenty(two percent. "octor #iller says that is similar to the effects of aerobic e ercise. Blood flow decreased in fourteen of the twenty people after they watched &Saving )rivate *yan.& The decrease was an average of thirty(five percent. Studies have shown that stress can reduce the body+s ability to fight disease. ,hen the body is under stress, it produces hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. %ortisol is related to fear- adrenalin prepares the body to react. But too much of these hormones can be harmful. "octor #iller noted that the study could not e plain how laughter is responsible for the effects observed. "o the effects come from the movement of muscles, or from a chemical release? The researchers say laughter may cause the body to release pleasure chemicals, .ust as when a person e ercises. "octor #iller says these endorphins may block the effect of stress hormones and cause the blood vessels to e pand. Laughter may also influence the release of nitric o ide, which too e pands blood passages. The results were presented at a meeting of the !merican %ollege of %ardiology. "octor #iller does not advise people to replace e ercise with laughter. But, based on the results, he does suggest fifteen minutes of laughter each day. This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. (May !" ##$%

Warm Up Ideas
1. Laughter: Spend a minute or two writing down all the times you have laughed today or this week. Share what you wrote with your partner. "id he/she also laugh at the things you found funny? %hange partners and repeat the activity. 2. est !edici"e: There is an old saying that laughter is the best medicine. "o you agree? ,hich of the things below do you think are the best medicines? )ut them in order of the &best medicines&. 00000 Laughter 00000 )harmacy drugs 00000 Sleep 00000 !erobic e ercise 00000 Hormones 00000 #oney 00000 !drenalin 00000 1itamin supplements 00000 Lots of fruit and vegetables

#. T$o%mi"ute &e'ates: Students face each other in pairs and engage in the following 2for(fun3 4(minute debates. Students ! are assigned the first argument, students B the second. a. Laughter improves your health. vs. Laughter has no effect on your health. b. ,ar movies are more interesting than comedies. vs. %omedies are better. c. Laughter is similar to e ercising. vs. There is little relation between laughter and e ercise d. Happy people live longer. vs. Happiness does not affect longevity. e. Laughing is better for you than e ercising. vs. 5 ercise is better for you. f. )eople should always believe health reports. vs. Sometimes health reports are dangerous. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. There+s an old saying that laughter is the worst medicine. ! study has linked laughter to decreased blood flow. )eople in the study were tickled for 78 minutes to get them to laugh. Laughter may have similar effects on the body as aerobic e ercise. Laughter can reduce the body+s ability to fight disease. ! doctor said he could not e plain why laughter is good for us. Laughter may cause the body to release unpleasant chemicals. T/6 T/6 T/6 T/6 T/6 T/6 T/6

h. ! doctor advised people to replace e ercise with laughter. 2. (hrase !atch:

T/6

,ith your partner2s3, agree on the matches of the following phrases from the article9 a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. .. the old saying that laughter is a study has linked He led a technology to measure similar to the effects of Blood flow decreased stress can reduce the body+s But too much of these hormones the study could not e plain he does suggest fifteen minutes study of twenty men and women how laughter is responsible aerobic e ercise of laughter each day in fourteen of the twenty people can be harmful the best medicine laughter to increased blood flow ability to fight disease changes in blood flow

Which Word) Strike through the incorrect word in each of the pairs in 'old.

Study Suggests Laughter Is Good for the Heart


Have you herd * heard the old saying that laughter is the 'est * $orst medicine? Then listen to this. Seriously, research has already shown that mental stress can restrict blood flow to the heart. But now a study has linked laughter to increased blood flow. Laughter appears to cause the tissue inside blood vessels to e pand. !s a result, laughing may be important to lesse" * reduce the risk of heart disease. So * Such says "octor #ichael #iller of the $niversity of #aryland #edical %enter. He led a study of twenty men and women, all healthy. To get them to laugh, they watched part of the movie &'ingpin,& a nineteen ninety(si comedy. To create the ide"tical * opposite emotions, they watched the opening battle in the nineteen ninety( eight war movie &Saving )rivate *yan.& The researchers used ultrasound technology to measure changes in blood flow through an artery * archery in the arm. Blood flow increased in nineteen of the twenty people after they watched &'ingpin.& The increase was an average of twenty(two percent. "octor #iller says that is similar to the effects of aero'ic * aerosol e ercise. Blood flow decreased in fourteen of the twenty people after they watched &Saving )rivate *yan.& The decrease * decreased was an average of thirty(five percent. Studies have shown that stress can reduce the body+s ability to fight disease. ,hen the body is under / over stress, it produces hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. %ortisol is related to fear- adrenalin prepares the body to react. But too much of these hormones can be harmful.

"octor #iller noted that the study could not e plain how laughter is responsible for the effects reserved / observed. "o the effects come from the movement of muscles, or from a chemical release? The researchers say laughter may cause the body to release pleasure chemicals, .ust as when a person e ercises. "octor #iller says these endorphins may 'loc+ * i"crease the effect of stress hormones and cause the blood vessels to e pand. Laughter may also influence the release of nitric o ide, which too e pands 'lood * 'leedi"g passages. The results were presented at a meeting of the !merican %ollege of %ardiology. "octor #iller does not ad,ise * ad,ice people to replace e ercise with laughter. But, based on the results, he does suggest fifteen minutes of laughter each day.

Study Suggests Laughter Is Good for the Heart


Have you heard the old 0000000 that laughter is the best medicine? Then listen to this. Seriously, research has already shown that mental stress can 000000000 blood flow to the heart. But now a study has linked laughter to increased blood flow. Laughter appears to cause the tissue inside blood vessels to e pand. 000 00 000000, laughing may be important to reduce the risk of heart disease. 000 00000 "octor #ichael #iller of the $niversity of #aryland #edical %enter. He led a study of twenty men and women, all healthy. To get them to laugh, they watched 0000 00 000 00000 &'ingpin,& a nineteen ninety(si comedy. To create the opposite emotions, they watched the opening battle in the nineteen ninety(eight war movie &Saving )rivate *yan.& The researchers used ultrasound technology to measure changes in blood flow through an artery 00 0000 0000. Blood flow increased in nineteen of the twenty people after they watched &'ingpin.& The increase was an average of twenty(two percent. "octor #iller says that is similar to the 00000000 of aerobic e ercise. Blood flow decreased in fourteen of the twenty people after they watched &Saving )rivate *yan.& The decrease was 000 0000000 000 thirty(five percent. Studies have shown that stress can reduce the body+s ability to fight disease. ,hen the body is under stress, it produces hormones 000000 000 adrenalin and cortisol. %ortisol is related to fear- adrenalin prepares the body to react. But too much of these hormones can be harmful. "octor #iller noted that the study could not e plain how laughter is responsible 000 000 0000000 observed. "o the effects come from the movement of muscles, or from a chemical release? The researchers say laughter may cause the body to release pleasure chemicals, 00000 000 00000 a person e ercises. "octor #iller says these endorphins may block the effect of stress hormones and cause the blood vessels to e pand. Laughter may also 000000000 the release of nitric o ide, which too e pands blood passages.

The 0000000 were presented at a meeting of the !merican %ollege of %ardiology. "octor #iller does not advise people to replace e ercise with laughter. But, based on the results, he does suggest fifteen minutes of laughter each day. This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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