Having a good giggle activates the same calming nerve pathways triggered by morphine. A recent study showed laughter in social groups caused a release of endorphins that produced a soothing effect in the brain similar to that seen with opiate drugs.
Another study reported the release of endorphins caused by laughter helped to speed up healing in a group of patients with leg ulcers more effectively than the latest ultrasound technology.
**Why certain people can eat cake and not get fat
**Some people really can have their cake and eat it – thanks to their genes. Scientists have recently found that variations to a gene named GALNT2 help the body break down harmful fat and clear it quicker.
In a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, when people were given a 250ml portion of cream, those with a certain variation of this gene were able to get rid of the triglycerides – harmful fats – from their blood faster (high levels of triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of heart disease).
“That doesn’t mean to say these people can eat what they want,” says Catherine Collins, who is principal dietitian at St George’s Hospital, London. “They may have a mutation on another gene that makes them prone to a certain type of cancer, for example, so knowing about this gene is only one piece of the jigsaw.”
