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Laughter can be helpful against stress and memory loss in old age
..................................................................................................... “Laughter is the best medicine” is not just a motto; according to a recent study, laughter counteracts the stress hormone which causes brain damage, and this in turn improves memory.
Stress, as we all know, can affect our health negatively; allergies can be worsened by stress not to mention susceptibility to mental illness. Stress can worsen learning ability and memory in elderly people because it increases the production of the hormone “cortisol” which causes damage to the brain’s neurons. Laughter is considered a stress reliever and a mean to improve the quality of life. A study analyzed two groups of elderly people; a group was required to watch a funny video before taking a memory test and the other group took the test without watching this video. Levels of cortisol for the participants were recorded before and after the experience. It is found that the cortisol levels for the group who watched the humorous video were reduced significantly compared to the other group who did not watch the video.