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Laughter: The Healthy Contagion

Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 15 2006 | 3,180 views
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According to a new study, breastfed babies with eczema experienced milder symptoms if their mothers laughed hours before feeding them.

Breastfeeding mothers were shown either a Charlie Chaplin movie or weather information, and samples of their breast milk were taken at regular intervals afterwards.

Their babies" allergic reactions to dust mites and latex was also measured two milk feeds afterwards.

Infants whose mothers laughed had markedly reduced allergic reactions. There were also significantly higher levels of melatonin in the laughing mothers" milk.

Melatonin, which is associated with relaxation, tends to have reduced levels in people with eczema.



Journal of Psychosomatic Research June 2007;62(6):699-702

NewScientist.com June 16, 2007


Dr. Mercola"s Comment:

Laughter is one of those simple joys in life that just feels good. And it"s good for you body, too -- in more ways than many may have realized as now you can add improving the quality of breast milk to its list of benefits.

So if you"re a breastfeeding mom, or a mom-to-be, keep in mind that laughter is not only good for you, but your baby too! Babies with eczema especially benefited in the study, but any baby will benefit from reduced allergic reactions.

We could all actually benefit from more laughter in our days. There is a mountain of research that demonstrates the beneficial effects that positive emotions can have on your health:

If you open your mind to it, I suspect you"ll find plenty of reasons to laugh and smile today, even if you"re just going about your daily routine.

Related Articles:

The Sound of Laughter is no Simple Matter

Seven Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child That You Need to Know

Laughter: The Healthy Contagion

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

†The World's #1 Natural Health Website claim is based upon Alexa Natural Health Website rankings.

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