Research into mind-body interventions, including humor as therapy, continues to reveal a surprising number of health benefits. In a culture that perpetuates the use of drugs to address nearly all ailments, no matter how serious or benign, many consumers are turning to so-called alternative medicines and therapies to nurture their physical and mental well-being. Laughter is one such medicine. Many professionals in the medical community consider laughter to be an effective tool for promoting good health and fighting disease. Here are 10 researched and documented health benefits of laughter.
Reduces stress hormones
When people laugh heartily and deeply, the physical exertion causes the body to release endorphins, one of the complex neuropeptide chemicals produced in the brain. Endorphins combat the excessive production of cortisol, a hormone your body releases when you experience physical, emotional, or mental stress. Too much cortisol over time can increase the appetite, as well as the risk of stroke and other life-threatening cardiovascular conditions. Consistent laughter effectively lowers the level of cortisol and other stress hormones in your blood, keeping your body in balance.
Strengthens the immune system
Stress, especially the physical and emotional stress endured by patients undergoing treatment for cancer, can decrease the body's resistance to disease, preventing the production of a type of white blood cell that attacks cancer cells. Studies show laughter not only reduces stress it also stimulates disease-fighting changes in the body, including the production of cancer-attacking white blood cells.
It promotes good mental health
With so many drug companies claiming to produce drugs that will alleviate depression, so long as the user doesn't mind lots of unpleasant side effects and health risks, the mental health community is considering laughter therapy as a safer, much less expensive means for combating mental illness. Studies show that people who use humor to address stress are likely to feel less lonely and maintain a healthy level of self-esteem. More surprisingly, some studies have concluded that humor therapy is as effective as widely used antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of patients suffering from depression.
It burns calories
After spending an evening at a comedy club or watching a good episode of Saturday Night Live, you might feel as if you just worked out at the gym. That's because the effects of laughter and exercise are very similar. A researcher at Vanderbilt University conducted a study measuring the amount of calories burned while laughing, which turned out to be 50 after 10 to 15 minutes of laughter. And just like physical exercise, laughter increases your heart rate and blood circulation.
Manages pain
Endorphins, in addition to making a person feel pleasant, help to manage pain. Laughter in the form of clown therapy, like that seen in the popular film based on the life and work of Dr. Patch Adams, is used in hospitals to help children cope with the pain of treatments like chemotherapy.
It manages anger
Laughing can reduce tension, eliminate a perceived threat, and open up lines of communication between people, all of which help to diffuse unhealthy levels of irrational anger. Laughter decreases compounds released by the body that create feelings of hostility, anger, and anxiety. Laughing at something that has made you angry can help you regain your perspective as to the relative importance of what might be a petty slight or minor inconvenience.
It promotes and strengthens interpersonal relationships
Psychology Today reports that laughter has the capacity to restore and build couples' relationships. Laughing not only brings large groups together, it creates and strengthens a connection between two people, showing they truly enjoy each other's company. For laughter to be beneficial to a relationship, it doesn't need to be the kind that makes one's nose run and eyes tear up. Just a little bit of laughter can sync up, if only for a few moments, the hearts and minds of two people.
It's good for the soul
Western and Eastern religions both know the value of laughter. Many proverbs and zen teachings utilize humor to instruct and enlighten. In one such Zen story, a student asks a Zen master, "What is Zen?" As a response, the master takes off one of his sandals, puts it on his head, and walks away. OK, maybe you had to be there. But consider this from Proverbs 17:22: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
It's great for kids
Studies show that children laugh an average of 100 to 200 — some say 400 — times a day. Adults on the other hand average about 15 laughs a day. Given all of that daily laughter, what is it kids know that adults don't? This year, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are determining which areas of a child's brain are activated by humor in an effort to see if laughter promotes emotional and mental health. One Stanford researcher says, "We think a balanced and consistent sense of humor may help children negotiate the difficult period of pre-adolescence and adolescence."
It stimulates creativity
Studies including one at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, show that laughter improves alertness, memory, and creativity. One explanation for this is that humor, like creativity, connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain, engaging the entire organ and creating a pleasant physical and emotional response. Humor can stimulate creativity by upending your preconceptions, allowing you to approach a creative challenge with a fresh perspective — once you stop laughing of course!
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