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Laughter Is a Medicine
Body's Response to Repetitive Laughter Is Similar to the Effect of Repetitive Exercise, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2010) — Laughter is a highly complex process. Joyous or mirthful laughter is considered a positive stress (eustress) that involves complicated brain activities leading to a positive effect on health. Norman Cousins first suggested the idea that humor and the associated laughter can benefit a person's health in the 1970s. His ground-breaking work, as a layperson diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, documented his use of laughter in treating himself -- with medical approval and oversight -- into remission. He published his personal research results in the New England Journal of Medicine and is considered one of the original architects of mind-body medicine.
Dr. Lee S. Berk, a preventive care specialist and psychoneuroimmunology researcher at Loma Linda University's Schools of Allied Health (SAHP) and Medicine, and director of the molecular research lab at SAHP, Loma Linda, CA, and Dr. Stanley Tan have picked up where Cousins left off. Since the 1980s, they have been studying the human body's response to mirthful laughter and have found that laughter helps optimize many of the functions of various body systems. Berk and his colleagues were the first to establish that laughter helps optimize the hormones in the endocrine system, including decreasing the levels of cortisol and epinephrine, which lead to stress reduction. They have also shown that laughter has a positive effect on modulating components of the immune system, including increased production of antibodies and activation of the body's protective cells, including T-cells and especially Natural Killer cells' killing activity of tumor cells.
Their studies have shown that repetitious "mirthful laughter," which they call Laughercise©, causes the body to respond in a way similar to moderate physical exercise. Laughercise© enhances your mood, decreases stress hormones, enhances immune activity, lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and raises good cholesterol (HDL).
As Berk explains, "We are finally starting to realize that our everyday behaviors and emotions are modulating our bodies in many ways." His latest research expands the role of laughter even further.
A New Study: Humor versus Distress, Effect on and Appetite Hormones
Berk, along with his colleague Dr. Jerry Petrofsky at Loma Linda University, and their team have recently completed a new study, which is being presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, CA between April 24-28, 2010.
In the current study, 14 healthy volunteers were recruited to a three-week study to examine the effects that eustress (mirthful laughter) and distress have on modulating the key hormones that control appetite. During the study, each subject was required to watch one 20-minute video at random that was either upsetting (distress) or humorous (eustress) in nature. The study was a cross-over design, meaning that the volunteers waited one week after watching the first video to eliminate its effect, then watched the opposite genre of video.
For a distressing video clip, the researchers had the volunteer subjects watch the tense first 20 minutes of the movie Saving Private Ryan. This highly emotional video clip is known to distress viewers substantially and equally.
For the eustress video, the researchers had each volunteer choose a 20-minute video clip from a variety of humorous options including stand-up comedians and movie comedies. Allowing the volunteers to "self-select" the eustress that most appealed to them guaranteed their maximum humor response.
During the study, the researchers measured each subject's blood pressure and took blood samples immediately before and after watching the respective videos. Each blood sample was separated out into its components and the liquid serum was examined for the levels of two hormones involved in appetite, leptin and ghrelin, for each time point used in the study.
When the researchers compared the hormone levels pre- and post-viewing, they found that the volunteers who watched the distressing video showed no statistically significant change in their appetite hormone levels during the 20-minutes they spent watching the video.
In contrast, the subjects who watched the humorous video had changes in blood pressure and also changes in the leptin and ghrelin levels. Specifically, the level of leptin decreased as the level of ghrelin increased, much like the acute effect of moderate physical exercise that is often associated with increased appetite.
Berk explains that this research does not conclude that humor increases appetite. He explains, "The ultimate reality of this research is that laughter causes a wide variety of modulation and that the body's response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise. The value of the research is that it may provide for those who are health care providers with new insights and understandings, and thus further potential options for patients who cannot use physical activity to normalize or enhance their appetite."
Appetite Loss may have a new Treatment Option
For example, many elderly patients often suffer from what is known as "wasting disease." They become depressed and, combined with a lack of physical activity, lose their appetite and jeopardize their health and well-being. Based on Berk's current research, these patients may be able to use Laughercise© as an alternative, initially less strenuous, activity to regain their appetite.
A similar loss of appetite is often seen in widowers, who typically suffer depression after the loss of a spouse. This often results in decreased immune-system function and subsequent illness in the surviving spouse. Chronic pain patients also suffer from appetite loss due to the chemical changes in their body that cause intolerable discomfort.
While laughter may seem unimaginable in the face of deep depression or intense chronic pain, it may be an accessible alternative starting point for these patients to regain appetite and consequently, improve and enhance their recovery to health.
Berk's current research expands the role of laughter on the human body and whole-person care, but also complicates an already complicated emotion. He acknowledges, "I am more amazed by the interrelatedness of laughter and body responses with the more evidence and knowledge we collect. It's fascinating that positive emotions resulting from behaviors such as music playing or singing, and now mirthful laughter, translate into so many types of [biological] mechanism optimizations. As the old biblical wisdom states, it may indeed be true that laughter is a good medicine."
ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2010) — Laughter is a highly complex process. Joyous or mirthful laughter is considered a positive stress (eustress) that involves complicated brain activities leading to a positive effect on health. Norman Cousins first suggested the idea that humor and the associated laughter can benefit a person's health in the 1970s. His ground-breaking work, as a layperson diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, documented his use of laughter in treating himself -- with medical approval and oversight -- into remission. He published his personal research results in the New England Journal of Medicine and is considered one of the original architects of mind-body medicine.
Dr. Lee S. Berk, a preventive care specialist and psychoneuroimmunology researcher at Loma Linda University's Schools of Allied Health (SAHP) and Medicine, and director of the molecular research lab at SAHP, Loma Linda, CA, and Dr. Stanley Tan have picked up where Cousins left off. Since the 1980s, they have been studying the human body's response to mirthful laughter and have found that laughter helps optimize many of the functions of various body systems. Berk and his colleagues were the first to establish that laughter helps optimize the hormones in the endocrine system, including decreasing the levels of cortisol and epinephrine, which lead to stress reduction. They have also shown that laughter has a positive effect on modulating components of the immune system, including increased production of antibodies and activation of the body's protective cells, including T-cells and especially Natural Killer cells' killing activity of tumor cells.
Their studies have shown that repetitious "mirthful laughter," which they call Laughercise©, causes the body to respond in a way similar to moderate physical exercise. Laughercise© enhances your mood, decreases stress hormones, enhances immune activity, lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and raises good cholesterol (HDL).
As Berk explains, "We are finally starting to realize that our everyday behaviors and emotions are modulating our bodies in many ways." His latest research expands the role of laughter even further.
A New Study: Humor versus Distress, Effect on and Appetite Hormones
Berk, along with his colleague Dr. Jerry Petrofsky at Loma Linda University, and their team have recently completed a new study, which is being presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, CA between April 24-28, 2010.
In the current study, 14 healthy volunteers were recruited to a three-week study to examine the effects that eustress (mirthful laughter) and distress have on modulating the key hormones that control appetite. During the study, each subject was required to watch one 20-minute video at random that was either upsetting (distress) or humorous (eustress) in nature. The study was a cross-over design, meaning that the volunteers waited one week after watching the first video to eliminate its effect, then watched the opposite genre of video.
For a distressing video clip, the researchers had the volunteer subjects watch the tense first 20 minutes of the movie Saving Private Ryan. This highly emotional video clip is known to distress viewers substantially and equally.
For the eustress video, the researchers had each volunteer choose a 20-minute video clip from a variety of humorous options including stand-up comedians and movie comedies. Allowing the volunteers to "self-select" the eustress that most appealed to them guaranteed their maximum humor response.
During the study, the researchers measured each subject's blood pressure and took blood samples immediately before and after watching the respective videos. Each blood sample was separated out into its components and the liquid serum was examined for the levels of two hormones involved in appetite, leptin and ghrelin, for each time point used in the study.
When the researchers compared the hormone levels pre- and post-viewing, they found that the volunteers who watched the distressing video showed no statistically significant change in their appetite hormone levels during the 20-minutes they spent watching the video.
In contrast, the subjects who watched the humorous video had changes in blood pressure and also changes in the leptin and ghrelin levels. Specifically, the level of leptin decreased as the level of ghrelin increased, much like the acute effect of moderate physical exercise that is often associated with increased appetite.
Berk explains that this research does not conclude that humor increases appetite. He explains, "The ultimate reality of this research is that laughter causes a wide variety of modulation and that the body's response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise. The value of the research is that it may provide for those who are health care providers with new insights and understandings, and thus further potential options for patients who cannot use physical activity to normalize or enhance their appetite."
Appetite Loss may have a new Treatment Option
For example, many elderly patients often suffer from what is known as "wasting disease." They become depressed and, combined with a lack of physical activity, lose their appetite and jeopardize their health and well-being. Based on Berk's current research, these patients may be able to use Laughercise© as an alternative, initially less strenuous, activity to regain their appetite.
A similar loss of appetite is often seen in widowers, who typically suffer depression after the loss of a spouse. This often results in decreased immune-system function and subsequent illness in the surviving spouse. Chronic pain patients also suffer from appetite loss due to the chemical changes in their body that cause intolerable discomfort.
While laughter may seem unimaginable in the face of deep depression or intense chronic pain, it may be an accessible alternative starting point for these patients to regain appetite and consequently, improve and enhance their recovery to health.
Berk's current research expands the role of laughter on the human body and whole-person care, but also complicates an already complicated emotion. He acknowledges, "I am more amazed by the interrelatedness of laughter and body responses with the more evidence and knowledge we collect. It's fascinating that positive emotions resulting from behaviors such as music playing or singing, and now mirthful laughter, translate into so many types of [biological] mechanism optimizations. As the old biblical wisdom states, it may indeed be true that laughter is a good medicine."
I think you are referring to a story of an American Officer interrogating a person in a funny way. At the time of the reading the story, I remember a real event in American consulate. Wife of my cousin had gone for USA visa. She was asked many question about his daughter who is in USA. The last question he asks :.”Are you married?” The translator herself was flabbergasted by this last question. Of course she was given Visa.
If this question is asked in Canada, It might have some significance as marriage is not perquisite to have children. In a way it was fun to recall the story.
What is the expanded word of ROFL.
If this question is asked in Canada, It might have some significance as marriage is not perquisite to have children. In a way it was fun to recall the story.
What is the expanded word of ROFL.
I am just now writing about the story to him.
Oh yes please see if your friend would share the story that caused this laughter!! I want to hear it!!
I missed it!!! :-((((((((((((((((( However, someone on my friend's list just sent me a really funny story and I am still ROFL over it :-)))) I wonder if he would share it ???? I think someone is passing the laughter on.
Coincidently, to-day (1st May) is International Laughter’s day. I did see some programs in a T.V.
There are innumerable laughter yoga club throughout the world. Pleas search the word Laughter yoga. Or visit, www.anmolmehta.com. there are videos on laughter yoga. There is enough material to convince anybody about the Laughter Yoga.
I often find my self laughing at simple things.
Some times I will be in a room by my self
I just have a thought about some thing I find funny
or some times its a memory. Then I start laughing.
It crosses my mind that I am laughing while
I am all by my self and I find that to be very funny.
So then I laugh a little more.
My mother told me many years ago that
such behavior was a sign of mental illness.
I told her If that were so...
then i would rather gladly
be considered ill then
Some times I will be in a room by my self
I just have a thought about some thing I find funny
or some times its a memory. Then I start laughing.
It crosses my mind that I am laughing while
I am all by my self and I find that to be very funny.
So then I laugh a little more.
My mother told me many years ago that
such behavior was a sign of mental illness.
I told her If that were so...
then i would rather gladly
be considered ill then
"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22
Laughter really IS good medicine! Even God agrees. :)
Laughter really IS good medicine! Even God agrees. :)
That highlights the "roaring with laughter" or the phrase...I thought I might die of laughing....lol.
Maybe it seems hysterical, but the pressure being relieved can't help but be beneficial. There is so much to stress us out these days. I have to step back myself from all the debates and "hot topic" buttons to just rest and enjoy simple things that make me laugh or smile.
Yesterday, I saw a deer running in the neighborhood as I went to work. I followed it down a couple of streets and watched it cross a major one to the park. Later in the morning I happened to look out the window (7:30 a.m. or so) and see a male duck (mallard) sitting by a tree kitty corner from my client's house with a female close by. I looked off & on for 1/2 hr. period & tried to get some pictures....while they sat there. At first I thought it was a lawn ornament...lol!
Maybe it seems hysterical, but the pressure being relieved can't help but be beneficial. There is so much to stress us out these days. I have to step back myself from all the debates and "hot topic" buttons to just rest and enjoy simple things that make me laugh or smile.
Yesterday, I saw a deer running in the neighborhood as I went to work. I followed it down a couple of streets and watched it cross a major one to the park. Later in the morning I happened to look out the window (7:30 a.m. or so) and see a male duck (mallard) sitting by a tree kitty corner from my client's house with a female close by. I looked off & on for 1/2 hr. period & tried to get some pictures....while they sat there. At first I thought it was a lawn ornament...lol!
Hello. I think the funniest things are often found in situations where laughter is actually inappropriate. It is most difficult to contain when such a reaction may actually be frowned upon by others in the immediate environment. For example, during a church service or classroom setting, or perhaps a serious business meeting. An earlier comical event can spark a reaction that once one person has begun to chuckle under their breath, it becomes contagious, and it grows increasingly more difficult to suppress the urge to burst into laughter. I suppose the risk of chastisement makes it more difficult to exercise restraint. But when it finally breaks free, it often results in such a strong reaction that some are even brought to tears. And I have no doubt that outbreaks of intense humor are beneficial to the mind and spirit, no matter what the situation. Take care, GM
:-) Thank you.
Anything in excess will be fatal. So we can't blame a laugh.
This research confirms that old wine was a real wine.
This research confirms that old wine was a real wine.
We just have to experience it for ourselves...lol. Other generations figured it out without all the scientific verification...unbelievable! You'd think we just discovered it for the first time :-OOOO Maybe we have it we are experiencing it ourselves.
Has anyone ever felt that they would laugh themselves to death because something struck them so funny they couldn't stop laughing and they ended up rolling on the floor gasping for breath???
Has anyone ever felt that they would laugh themselves to death because something struck them so funny they couldn't stop laughing and they ended up rolling on the floor gasping for breath???
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