Laugh every day to keep doctor away

London: Forget rigorous workout schedules, finding humour in real life situations could be just enough to keep you hale and hearty.

A new study has revealed that laughter can do as much good for your body as going for a run. The findings showed that volunteers who watched 20 minutes of comedies and stand-up routines experienced a dramatic drop in stress hormones, blood pressure and cholesterol. Their appetite was also stimulated just as it is with exercise. "There`s no doubt about it - the `high` people get from mirthful laughter is very similar to the endorphin rush you get from light to moderate exercise," express.co.uk quoted lead researcher Lee Berk from Loma Linda University, California, as saying. Even for diabetics, laughter can be the best medicine. In one study, people who watched a funny video during dinner had lower blood sugar levels after the meal compared to the people who watched a video of a lecture. "It was quite by accident that we stumbled across this finding. The expectation of watching a video was enough to raise levels of feel-good endorphins and boost amounts of a hormone that helps our immune systems fight infection," Berk said. IANS