Laughter

This passage is about laughter and its benefits.

Lexile Level: 1140L

Categories: Sports & Health

Would you like a career in which you spend workdays surrounded by laughter? If so, you may want to consider being a gelotologist. Gelotologists are scientists who study the nature and causes of laughter, as well as the physiological effects that laughter has on the human body. Fifteen facial muscles are actively involved in producing laughter, and the epiglottis partially closes the larynx, leading to disrupted air intake and gasping. Gelotologists have found that laughter results in lower levels of certain stress hormones. This explains why many people are able to skillfully employ humor and laughter to diffuse potentially volatile situations. Also, when we laugh we produce higher levels of disease-fighting, gamma-interferon proteins and B-cells, which produce disease-fighting antibodies. Yet another benefit of a good chuckle is that laughter can be good exercise. One hundred laughs is equivalent to ten minutes on a rowing machine. If you are looking for a cost-free path to better health, gelotologists might suggest simply remembering to get in a good laugh whenever possible.