A funny video, or anything else that gives you a good laugh or even the anticipation of laughter - appears to affect the body's hormones beneficially.

Do you think I am joking? Well read this then.

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California, discovered this in a study of 32 healthy men, half of whom were instructed to view a one-hour humorous video of their own selection. The other half simply sat in a room with an assortment of magazines.

Well, the results were surprising. The people, who were watching the videos had shown a better growth of hormone as compared to the other group.

So, is laughter the best medicine to rev up hormones? I think so.

Ha ha ha ha!! See, I am already feeling better!

If you think that only affluent people are stressed, then you are highly mistaken. Even a penniless guy can feel totally stressed out!

Don't think that I am advocating the poor. In fact, I just wanna say that a poor person produces more stress hormones!

Due to their low socio-economic status,  greater incidence of smoking, and malnutrition, the poor become internally weak and subsequently are more susceptible to getting stressed.

I just wanna draw your attention towards the fact that as a human being whatever is felt by the affluent class can also be felt by the have-nots. Hormones don't see any class or caste. They are the same for everybody.

So, how is a have different from a have-not?

New research suggests that postoperative gastric bypass surgery patients show hormonal changes that lower the drive for hunger.

A study in the May issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports that “In patients, who underwent gastric bypass surgery, hormone levels were significantly altered, giving them a feeling of fullness.”

I am not very happy with the idea of altering hormones. I personally think that when so many other options are available for weight loss, why to choose alterations in hormones.

And as it is, if I feel full every time, then how am I gonna taste all that food out there waiting to be gobbled!

Are you experiencing hormone related problems? Well, don't worry, I have a solution to offer you.

Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) might be the right option for you. Natural hormone therapy means that the chemical makeup of the replacement hormone is exactly the same (bioidentical) as what your body produces.

Believe me, a lot of people in Europe are opting for this therapy.

Well, I have just given you only the abstracted details. For further details, a detailed conversation with a professional expert is mandatory.

So,why don't go and check it out?!

Tired of all those hopeless dieting schedules and draining exercises. Well, you needn't despair anymore. Augmenting levels of a hormone found naturally in the stomach, could be the new way to treat obesity.

The basic work of the hormone oxyntomodulin, found in your gut, is to tell you that you are full during the course of a meal. The obese have less of this hormone.

A recent study in UK suggests that boosting oxyntomodulin limits appetite and raises activity levels at the same time. This  leads to speedy, but healthy weight loss rates.

It's not like one of those nasty drugs where you have to take some horrible chemical for years and even though you lose weight, you still end up losing your health as well.

So, may be all that you would need to do to reduce weight, in the times to come, would be popping a pill made of something natural. Isn't that great?!

“Lesbians' brains react differently to sex hormones than those of heterosexual women,” a new research indicates.

Lesbians' brains reacted some what, though not completely, like those of heterosexual men, a team of Swedish researchers said. The basic idea behind the research was that homosexuality has a physical basis and is not learned behavior.

Come on! What health reporter or editor really thinks that this study is sufficient to know everything about Lesbian's brain and hormones. No I don't think so!

More extensive study is required to make people more aware. What d you say?

If you are one of those men who hate condoms or vasectomy…don't despair. The hormonal contraceptive is in. These contraceptives can be given as an injection and are effective for a few months.

A study concludes that the male hormonal contraception can be reversed within a few months. Researchers looked at data on more than 1,500 men around the world who had taken part in tests of some form of hormonal contraception. On an average, men took three to four months to recover full fertility.

I find the research path breaking as it reassures men that their fertility can be restored. These findings increase the promise of new contraceptive drugs allowing men to share more fairly the satisfaction and burden of family planning.

If you are a woman thinking of undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT), think again. I have found that studies conducted throughout the world  suggest that long term HRT significantly increases the risk of  cancer.

Long-term use of estrogen-only HRT increases the risk of breast cancer, a major US study suggests. Those who had been taking estrogen for fewer than 10 years did not appear to have a higher risk than those who had never taken hormones. But those who had been taking the hormone for more than 20 years had a significantly increased risk.

So whether you  start or continue taking HRT needs to be an informed choice made with the help of your doctor. I feel you should also review the progress every year and decide accordingly.

Thinking of trying that wonder pill to stave off pregnancy? Okay, so you are skeptic about what does it do to your hormones. Then just read on..

The two female sex hormones-Progesterone and Estrogen are responsible for ovarian cycle in females and thus directly control pregnancy.

The "pill" is an oral contraceptive containing synthetic derivatives of the female sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen. These hormones prevent ovulation and thus prevent pregnancy. The hormones in the "pill" deceive the body into thinking it is pregnant. A high level of progesterone is maintained which inhibits secretions of FSH and LH. The result is that no new egg follicles are developed and no ovulation occurs.

Now, that is the whole game of hormones that contraceptive pills play. You don't need to worry, just consult a doctor and go ahead.

I often find my patients intrigued about hormones. Either they ascribe all their maladies to hormones or  they wonder what these might probably have to do with your health.

Well ,these wonder chemicals are not limited to the pills your doctor prescribes. These are secretions inside your own body. They are called endocrine secretions because they are transmitted via ducts or vessels.

Hormones regulate a number of  metabolic activities inside our body. Isn't it amusing that even your height and skin color are determined by the amount of secretion of a particular hormone.

So, now you have at least the slightest idea of what hormones actually are.