LIFT YOUR ‘JOY’ HORMONE

ENDORPHINS are powerful antiageing hormones, which act on receptors in our brain to reduce stress, fear or pain. They also boost pleasure from eating or sex and regulate appetite, preventing obesity.

There are at least 20 kinds of endorphin, but betaendorphins are known particularly as anti-ageing hormones. They activate chemicals that reduce inflammation and combat the effects of diabetes and ward off cognitive decline.

As our brains age, we don’t produce the same amount.

Studies on animals reveal low endorphin levels are linked to anxiety and higher amounts of another hormone associated with ageing, cortisol. Low endorphins can contribute to obesity and physical decline.

YOUR HORMONE PROTECTION PLAN

EXERCISE: More endorphins. are produced during and just after exercise, leading to a ‘feel-good’ factor.

LAUGH: Laughter increases endorphin production in areas of the brain controlling arousal and emotions, according to a study last year in The Journal of Neuroscience.