Happy medium Laugh it off

Insulin is released to bring these levels down, ex‐plained hormone expert Dr Nicky Keay, and exercise can assist by restoring them following the sugar rush.

“Active mus‐cles demand glucose for energy,” Dr Keay said.

“We use muscles to laugh, and this has a blood glu‐cose ‐ lowering effect,” she added.

A Japanese study carried out by University of Tsukuba’s Dr Keiko Hayashi has also confirmed the im‐portance of laughter.

Volunteers, who includ‐ ed diabetics, ate the same meal. They then watched a 40 ‐ minute lecture, after which their blood glucose levels were tested. The pro‐cess was repeated, but this time they saw a 40‐minute comedy.

“Levels were significantly lower for both groups after the comedy show,” Dr Hayashi found.