"Having a healthy endothelium is quite important," he said.
"How healthy is your endothelium"?
"Endo what", you ask?
"For the current study, Miller and his colleagues measured blood vessel functioning in 20 non-smoking, healthy participants. To check their blood vessels, the researchers put a cuff on the arm to constrict vessels, then released the cuff. Blood vessels that dilate more after this test typically have a healthy lining, called endothelium. "The healthier the vessel, the more it opens up," Miller said in an interview."
Okay, so you want healthy blood vessels?
"Watching a funny movie appears to improve blood vessel function, which may help explain why having a good laugh appears to have numerous health benefits, according to new findings released Monday.
In contrast, investigators found that when viewers watched a disturbing scene from war movie "Saving Private Ryan," their blood vessel function appeared to deteriorate, suggesting that mental stress can take its toll on the body.
Something "that is easy to do, economical, never been shown to hurt you, is something we should do every day," study author Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland in Baltimore told Reuters Health.
"Get a good laugh in every day," he said. "I think it's good for you."
As the Reader's Digest used to say "Laughter is the best medicine."
By contrast, stress is bad.
He explained that when our bodies are stressed, we produce hormones that may cause changes in the endothelium. Previous research suggests that the effects of stress last around 45 minutes, but if stress is unrelenting, it may help permanently alter the blood vessels, Miller said.
"Having a healthy endothelium is quite important," he said.
Let me repeat that one more time. "Having a healthy endothelium is quite important."
Say that to someone you love.
Maybe it will make them laugh.
Link: MedlinePlus: Study Shows Why Laughter Is the Best Medicine.
Comments