Play poker and minimize your stress

Wednesday , April 07, 2010
Are you stressed and strained? Then to play poker might be the answer since a recent University study shows that the game of poker has high stress-suppressant properties.

It is a prestigious research group at McGill University in Montreal who has studied Internet poker's effects on the human body, by studying subjects in longer gaming sessions.

The levels fell by 17 percent

And the result is fascinating to say the least.

The study shows that blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is secreted by the adrenal glands in humans in proportion to the level of stress, decreased dramatically in the poker subjects. The average levels fell by 17 percent.

Became calm and harmonious

The explanation is that the intense focus subjects devoted to the game forced them to close out daily activities. They became calmer and more harmonious, which in turn lowered the levels of stress hormones.

Previous research has shown that the poker game improves brain's ability to receive, process and communicate information, particularly for older people.