High Blood Pressure? Just Laugh It Off
Laughter Lowers Blood Pressure, Funnily Enough…
Laughter lowers blood pressure. This is not only amusing but true! Actually, when you start laughing, it raises your blood pressure a little. However, if you keep laughing – deeply, from your belly – and you do this often – then laughter lowers your blood pressure.
How do we know this? Well, a couple of medical studies have tried to find out how laughter lowers blood pressure by making people watch comedy videos or documentaries. While folk were watching the videos, various aspects of their circulatory functioning were being assessed.
In the first study, the researchers found that after watching a comedy video, “arterial compliance” in people’s carotid artery was improved.
What’s that? The carotid artery is the blood vessel carrying blood from the heart to the head and “arterial compliance” basically means that there is better blood flow. And this generally means lower blood pressure.
The second study measured the dilation of the blood vessels. It found that while watching comedy videos, people’s blood vessels dilated (i.e., expanded). On the other hand, after watching depressing documentaries, their blood vessels constricted. Generally speaking, the more your blood vessels dilate, the lower your blood pressure.
According to Takashi Tarumi, lead researcher on the study, “Not only did comedies improve vascular dilation, but watching a documentary about a depressing subject was actually harmful to the blood vessels. These documentaries constricted blood vessels by about 18 percent.”
Don’t watch depressing documentaries!
Yes, it’s true – watching “sombre” documentaries can raise your blood pressure. That’s not to say that you need to try to avoid all stressful or disturbing experiences. But simply make sure there’s time for some laughter and relaxation in your life.
Laughter is a great release for the body and for the mind. So get into comedy videos if you can find some that make you laugh. Or go and watch a comedian live. Or hang out more with friends that make you laugh.
This can be seriously helpful for lowering your blood pressure. This is because laughter lowers blood pressure not only while you’re laughing but afterwards too. As the lead researcher of the first study (Jun Sugawara) noted:
“Arterial compliance was improved for a full 24 hours after subjects watched a funny movie. Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects.”
More ways in which laughter lowers blood pressure
More and more research shows that having a good laugh not only lightens your load mentally but also improves your physical state. The studies above found that laughing improves the functioning of your blood vessels, helping to alleviate high blood pressure. And there are other ways in which laughter lowers blood pressure. For example, laughing lowers cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. At the same time it increases your production of endorphins – hormones that boost your mood, your pain threshold and your immune system and even your memory.
And if you laugh regularly, these effects can last in the long-term.
You can read more about how laughter lowers blood pressure on our post here: Laughing and blood pressure
How to have more laughter to lower blood pressure!
So find ways to bring more laughter into your life. You can even join a laughing group. ‘Laughter yoga’, as it’s called, is becoming increasingly popular as a way to reduce stress, heal the body, and just have a really good time.
The fact is that laughing is an effective stress reduction strategy – and that’s no laughing matter 🙂
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Husband has got into health food recently and yells at the wife as she’s on her way to the greengrocer – “MAKE SURE IT’S ORGANIC!”
So the wife asks the clerk at the greengrocer – “Are these all organic?”, pointing to the shelves of vegetables on display.
New at the job the young clerk responds – “I’m not sure. What do you mean by ‘organic’?”
Loosing her patience the wife responds – “Listen, I’m buying for my husband and I need to know – HAVE THESE VEGETABLES BEEN SPRAYED WITH POISON?
“Oh no,” replied the clerk, “you have to do that yourself.”
Lower your blood pressure naturally
As well as laughing, there are a lot of other things you can do to lower your blood pressure and keep it low without having to rely on medications.
For a start, there is a large choice of affordable natural ingredients that lower blood pressure. Many of these spices, herbs, berries, fruits, grains, vegetables, meats and drinks are available in local stores.
Of course there are other factors beyond diet (like fitness and stress) that affects your blood pressure. So the best way to lower your blood pressure without drugs is to apply a broader approach – covering all causes and cures with natural home-based remedies.
The guide contains simple and proven strategies for lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low through easy, effective and enjoyable changes in lifestyle.
These progressive steps are based on the principle that positive incremental change is always best in health matters.
Each chapter will take you further along the road of greater vigour and peace of mind (and a healthy blood pressure).
Click on the link below for more information:
Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally Guide
P.S. This guide shows you how to lower your blood pressure permanently and naturally without side-effects or complications.
Follow each step to get your blood pressure back in balance.
Choose between a wide range of delicious foods that reduce your blood pressure. Include a number of mental and physical exercises in your schedule for both relaxation and invigoration.
Following this guide will reduce, and in time, eliminate your need for blood pressure lowering medications.
This is a guide for good healthy living and will be beneficial for all – even if you don’t currently suffer from high blood pressure.
To download a sample of the guide to your computer right now click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the download link.
Laughter lowers blood pressure: references and more information
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/151941.php
https://www.humourfoundation.com.au/resources/seriously-funny-medicine/62-laughter-lowers-blood-pressure.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/laughing-may-help-ease-blood-pressure-boost-mood-and-enrich-health-in-other-ways/2011/10/18/gIQAq8Y5CM_story.html
