Washington:
Experts have claimed that a good laugh can boost your sex life and help you live longer. Psychologist Stephanie Davies said that it's also the key to looking young and losing weight.
Her book 'Laughology: Improve Your Life With The Science Of Laughter' is out on June 27 and reveals the many ways in which laughter can improve your life, the Sun reported.
There is nothing sexier than someone who can make you laugh. Why do you think Russell Brand has ladies queuing up to become his next conquest?
But laughter and humour are much more than aphrodisiacs. Studies have shown that they have a profound effect on our brains and bodies.
They can make us healthier, they can help us make better decisions and they can help us cope with challenges.
Laughter floods our brains with special chemicals - "happy hormones" that make us more positive, outgoing and sociable.
Laughter and humour have also been shown to make us fitter and even look younger.
A good belly-laugh gives our bodies a workout and if you dose yourself up on laughter and happiness, you can even shed pounds.
Research has discovered that laughing hard for just ten or 15 minutes a day can help you shed several pounds a year.
Laughter activates muscles around the body, from the tummy to the shoulders, and other studies have shown that a good laugh has the similar effect of a ten-minute session on a rowing machine.
A study in the US also found that people who watched funny movies showed changes in levels of hormones regulating their appetite.
Laughter also works on the mechanisms in the brain that make us eat too much of the wrong things.
There is a major link between our emotions and the food choices we make.
Many of us turn to chocolate or junk food when we are down, tired or stressed. We call it comfort eating.
Laughter can act as a distraction to the cravings we experience before reaching for the Dairy Milk because it causes the brain to release serotonin, a hormone sometimes described as nature's appetite suppressant.
This powerful chemical curbs cravings and makes you feel satisfied even if your stomach isn't full.
Laughter is the best anti-ageing secret there is.
It increases blood flow to the face, makes eyes sparkle and reduces stress, which has an effect on skin tone and its elasticity.
The less stressed you are, the clearer your skin and the fewer wrinkles you get.
