Jaws, Scream, and The Exorcist may be completely different horror flicks, but they all have one thing in common: They can be good for your health.
That’s right — studies show that scary movies have several health benefits.
First, they can help you lose weight. These flicks cause an adrenaline rush, which spikes the basal metabolic rate, decreases appetite, and even helps burn calories, University of Westminster lecturer Dr. Richard Mackenzie told The Telegraph. For example, a person can burn as many as 184 calories just by watching Jack Nicholson go berserk in The Shining.
Watching horror films even elevates our level of white blood cells, which fight infections, according to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
And, while the chances of coming across Freddy Krueger are slim, horror films still mentally prepare us for dangerous real-life situations.
“We use fiction as an ‘emotional simulator’ to broaden our horizons. Horror fiction exercises our reactions to what’s terrible and frightening,” Danish scholar of horror fiction Mathias Clasen told sciencenordic.com.
Yet, horror films aren’t beneficial for everyone. Those who suffer from heart disease shouldn’t watch these adrenaline-pumping films, since they can increase blood pressure and chest pain.
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