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Laughter is the Best Medicine By Laurie Buchanan, PhD, HHP, CHT, RMT Laughter decreases blood pressure, upgrades overall performance of the heart's muscular functions, and potentially wards off heart disease. We have all heard the saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” It really is. Just like a spoonful of sugar, laughter is easy to take. Possessing the same positive impact as inspiration, love, generosity, tolerance and respect, laughter is one of the many characteristics of Spirit. It is good for the soul. Because of their vibration, sounds are powerful. Some of the sounds we may hear include birds chirping, sirens blaring, the cry of a baby, the ring of a telephone or a whispered conversation. The sound that has the ability to elicit a contagious physical reaction is laughter. Most of us respond with laughter when we hear it. “Did you hear the one about ...” “A donkey walks into a bar ...” “There are three men in a boat ...” “Knock, knock. Who’s there ...” “You’re gonna love this one ...” During the past thirty years, medical researchers have taken a keen interest in the relationship between laughter and health. The published results of their studies indicate a strong link between mirth and our physical and mental wellbeing. Scientists credit health benefits to laughter largely due to its ability to combat the physical and emotional attributes of chronic stress, which has been shown to suppress the body’s immune system. Lee Berk, assistant professor at Loma Linda University in California, is a pioneer in laughter research. He found that laughter may decrease stress by boosting the body’s secretion of growth hormone, which has a positive effect on immunity. Increased stress is linked with decreased immune system response. Laughter reduces the release of adrenaline and cortisol, two of the worst offenders in weakening the immune system. Study results also show that, similar to exercise, laughter discharges endorphins which the body uses to combat pain and depression. Research done at the University of Maryland Medical Center by Dr. Michael Miller suggests that laughter decreases blood pressure, increases muscle flexion, upgrades overall performance of the heart's muscular functions, and potentially wards off heart disease. They studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. Subsequent to the viewing, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy performed normally—expanding and contracting with ease. But the blood vessels in participants who watched the drama were inclined to tense up, restricting the flow of blood. Another study looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. One study of 19 people with diabetes looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating, the participants attended a lecture that was deliberately calculated to be dull and boring. The following day, the identical group of people ate the same meal and then watched a comedy. After the film, the group had significantly lower blood sugar levels than they did after sitting through the lecture. The benefits of laughter really came into the spotlight with Norman Cousins’ memoir, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that watching comedies like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera helped him to feel better. He said, “Ten minutes of laughter allowed me two hours of pain-free sleep.” Recreation and humor therapist Roberta Gold said the physiological processes the body undergoes during laughter are relaxing. “Your circulatory system works better and you oxygenate your blood better. You feel better afterwards, physiologically and emotionally.” She feels that the benefits of humor positively affect more than our physical aspect; that a sense of humor is vital to mental health. The University of North Carolina laughter research results showed that a positive mental state—such as one brought on by humor—increases open-mindedness, creativity and the ability to adapt to change. Roberta Gold spoke to this when she said, “Laughter plays a role in these traits because it stimulates positive emotions and encourages a more positive outlook.” Experts in the field of laughter also theorize that a sense of humor goes hand-in-hand with increased levels of “emotional intelligence,” which influences a person's ability to cope with their feelings and empathize with the emotional states of others. At Johns Hopkins University Medical School, humor was linked to improved test scores. Researchers divided students in a graduate biostatistics class into two groups. They gave the same exam to each group with a single exception. One set of tests had humorous instructions. The students who received exams with funny instructions scored significantly higher than the students who received exams with ordinary instructions. Why does laughter have such a positive effect on the brain? Scientists are discovering that humor stimulates the brain’s reward center in the same ways as sex and chocolate. Consequently, this reward center dispatches two hormones into the brain—dopamine and serotonin. These anti-stress chemicals are known as “happiness molecules” because they are associated with the emotion of happiness. As we age, the manufacture of these chemicals in our body diminishes. Consequently, a good sense of humor and laughing becomes essential to our wellbeing as we grow older. The health benefits of laughter are extensive. It decreases blood pressure, normalizes heart rate and increases appetite. The icing on the cake is the exercise that it provides to our vital organs. Laughter helps the lungs to breathe better and keeps muscles in the diaphragm, abdomen, respiratory tract, face, legs and back strong and healthy. According to a study released by the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2000 meeting, laughter and an active sense of humor may also help to prevent heart and artery disease. Laughter is indeed the best medicine.
© 2009 Laurie Buchanan. Laurie Buchanan, PhD, HHP, CHT, RMT is a Holistic Health Practitioner, Board Certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is the owner of HolEssence in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois. Her specific areas of focus are Energy Medicine, Personal Development and Spiritual Growth. Please visit her website at www.HolEssence.com. |
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