"The laugh is the best medicine". It is a phrase that we are all very familiar with. Now, a new study from Loma Linda University in California (USA) concludes that humor can reduce brain damage caused by the hormone cortisol , better known as "stress hormone" (responsible for memory loss due to high levels of cortisol damage the connection between brain cells).
Can Laughter Reduce Cortisol Damage? To verify this, the researchers showed a 20-minute humorous video to two groups of volunteers: a group of healthy older people and another group of older people with diabetes. A third control group was also established, which did not view any humorous videos.
The two groups that watched the video showed a significant reduction in their cortisol levels, as well as an improvement in the memory tests they were subjected to , compared to the group that did not watch the video.
“Humor reduces harmful hormones of stress, which reduce the number of memory [neurons] and blood pressure, increase blood flow and improve mood. The act of laughing (or simply enjoying humor) increases the release of endorphins and dopamine in the brain, which provides a sense of pleasure and reward. These positive and beneficial neurochemical changes, in turn, make the immune system work better, ”says study co-author Lee Burk.
