You know how sometimes you crave a night of Chinese takeout and a comedy you would never spend $12 on at the movie theater? And meanwhile, you’d rather take bath in wall spackle than see the serious, heart-wrenching Oscar contender? Well, there might be a scientific reason for this. Apparently, watching a funny movie is good for your heart. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied bloodflow while watching movies and found that when a comedy was on—they used “There’s Something About Mary”—the lining of blood vessels expanded, leading to improved blood flow. Meanwhile, when they had participants watch a war movie (“Saving Private Ryan”), the opposite happened—blood vessels constricted and reduced blood flow. The difference between the two was significant—30 to 50 percent of the blood vessel’s diameter. Interesting. That is the sound of me giving myself permission to watch a marathon of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Best In Show,” and “Bridesmaids” rather than going to to the gym. [Newser, Daily Mail]
Source: atelierdtla
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