LAUGHTER: medicine for body & soul

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

How many DIFFERENT sayings have we heard about laughter?

It’s the best medicine. It’s good for the soul. It’s contagious. There are others, too. And in general, people abide by them. Partly because we know there is an element of truth to each saying. Partly because we do so much laughing on a day-to-day basis, it would be nice to know a good chuckle is benefiting our bodies. So just how much truth is there to these longstanding sayings about laughter and our health?

Plenty, according to national organizations and physicians.

While laughter may not be the best medicine for every condition, it turns out that a guffaw here and there has a big impact on our physical health. According to www.ConsumerReports.org, laughter has been known to do some great things for our well-being.

Laughter increases blood flow. Research has shown that laughing can expand and relax arteries. For example, a study at the University of Maryland Medical Center involved measuring blood-moving capacity of arteries by having volunteers watch both humorous and stressful films. After volunteers laughed, their arteries expanded, but they constricted after viewing a battle scene. And in a small one-year study of heart-attack patients, those who watched comedies for 30 minutes a day were less likely to suffer a second heart attack than those who did not watch funny films.

Laughter lowers blood sugar. www.ComsumerReports.org says, “People with type 2 diabetes maintain better blood sugar-control after watching comic performances...A Japanese study of people with the condition suggests that might stem from beneficial changes in immune regulation that prevent damaging inflammation from undermining blood-sugar control.”

Laughter regulates the immune system. Laughter has been found to significantly reduce levels of inflammation-triggering cytokines in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Other research suggests that after viewing humorous films, people with asthma become more resistant to flareups, those with allergies suffer fewer symptoms, and children with allergic skin rashes sleep more easily. A good laugh might also stimulate production of disease-fighting T cells and natural killer cells.

Laughter burns calories. Ever notice when you laugh—laugh hard—that your abdomen aches as though you’ve just done a few sets of crunches? There is a simple explanation for this. You’re using muscles to laugh. And exercising muscles burns calories. Laughing also boosts energy expenditure by 10 to 20 percent, according to Vanderbilt University researchers. They calculated that 15 minutes of hearty laughter could burn up to 40 calories, enough to shed more than 4 pounds a year if done daily.

Laughter eases pain. Not only does laughter contract the muscles in the stomach, but it contracts and relaxes muscles in the face and shoulders, which might ease muscle tension and spasms that contribute to pain.

That’s not all, according to www.HelpGuide.org, laughter can also do good for our mental health, too. Chuckling can lower the level of stress hormones like “cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine, and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress. Laughter also adds zest to life, can ease fear, improves our moods, and relieves stress. Laughing with a friend or family member also helps to strengthen our relationship. But other social benefits may not be so obvious.

Laughter will attract others to us, it helps enhance teamwork, and promotes group bonding. Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. It’s hard to feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

For that matter, when was the last time you remember laughing? We mean really laughing? Think about this: while 4-year-olds laugh about every four minutes, adults do it about once an hour. We can do better than that! Even if we’ve got a lot to worry about, laughter can help us put all our stressors into perspective.

Start by smiling—it’s the predecessor to laughter. Smiling is also contagious. There have been numerous studies on “laugh therapy” in which physicians and researchers put laughter to the test, discovering that a hearty laugh can help those suffering from terminal illnesses, or recovering from serious accidents. In fact, these researchers found it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.

Try incorporating a little humor into your daily life. Watch a comedy, read the comics, host a game night with friends, play with a pet, play with children, go bowling, or try karaoke. Before you know it, you’ll be laughing your way to a better you. v

Sources: consumerreports.org/health, helpguide.org

Article appeared in our 26-6 Issue - February 2010