A new research suggests that contrary to the popular belief, laughter may not actually be the 'best medicine'.
Despite its known benefits, laughing may actually bring more dangers than expected. One woman suffering from racing heart syndrome collapsed and died after giggling continuously, the researchers involved in the study confirmed. Laughing 'fit to burst' has also been found to cause possible heart rupture, a torn gullet, as well as epileptic seizures. Researchers from Birmingham and Oxford Universities used data from 1946 to the present day to study the benefits of laughing on the human body.
At one point during the test, clowns were sent into hospitals to entertain patients. Results showed a dose of 'genuine laughter' for a whole day could help shed the pounds by burning 2,000 calories. 36 percent of would-be moms undergoing IVF treatment got pregnant after a visit from the clowns, compared to just 20 percent in the control group. Tittering was also associated with lowered blood sugar in diabetic patients and helps in reducing arterial wall stiffness that then results to relieved tension.
The researchers involved in the study argued that their findings challenge the view that laughter can only be beneficial but they also added that humor in any form, carries a 'low risk of harm and may also be beneficial.' "It remains to be seen whether sick jokes make you ill, dry with causes dehydration or jokes in bad taste cause dysgeusia or the distortion of one's sense of taste," the researchers said. The results of their study are published in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal.
