The Surprising Power of Laughter: What You Didn't Know

1. Research indicates that laughter can reduce emotional eating or uncontrolled cravings.

2. When we laugh, our brains release endorphins, the same chemicals that decrease pain and increase happiness. This also happens during exercise and while eating chocolate.

3. Laughter helps T-cells do their job of killing cancer cells, and strengthens the immune system.

4. Genuine, hearty laughter, the kind that comes from 'the heart,' exercises shoulder muscles and improves the functioning of the diaphragm and heart.

5. "Tell me how much you laugh, and I will tell you how you handle challenges": Studies show that people who laugh more often approach life's difficult moments with optimism. Laughter and humor are wonderful tools for focusing on the positives in our lives, even during negative experiences.

6. Even if laughter feels forced, it's beneficial to make ourselves laugh more often. There's an old saying, 'action precedes emotion,' which suggests that if we force ourselves to laugh and smile, we can actually become happier over time.

7. The Laughter Epidemic in Tanzania: In 1962, Tanzania experienced a strange laughter epidemic that affected over 1,000 people, mostly young. It started with three girls who began laughing hysterically at school, spreading it to their classmates. Initially thought to be a prank, further investigation showed it affected more people in the village, both young and old.

8. Laughter is contagious: Various studies indicate that hearing someone else laugh is often enough to make us laugh, too.

9. Laughter is an instinct shared by all humans. We all know how to recognize it and partake in it.

10. And... despite its health benefits, there have been instances where excessive laughter resulted in death. Here are a few historical anecdotes:

* Nanda Bayin, the King of Burma in 1660, reportedly laughed to death upon hearing that Charles II was crowned king.

* Martin I of Aragon died from a combination of uncontrollable laughter and indigestion issues.

* Chrysippus of Soli, a Greek philosopher, died from laughter after watching his donkey drunkenly attempt to eat figs, which he had fed it himself.

* On March 24, 1975, in England, 50-year-old Alex Mitchell died of heart failure after laughing for about 25 consecutive minutes.