Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. They have proven:
An increase in T Cell activity (very important in the treatment of AIDS) Laughter helps these cells to “turn it up a notch”.
An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in large quantities and an increase in Complement 3, and this helps antibodies to attack dysfunctional and infected cells.
An increase in natural killer cells that attack viruses and some types of cancer and tumour cells.
Eustress or good stress is created by laughter.
Laughter is Aerobic – meaning it increases the oxygen intake in your body and also gives your diaphragm a good workout, which in turn is excellent for asthmatics or anyone with a lung disorder.
Stress Hormones are lowered by laughing. Stress hormones can constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity.
The chemical dopamine, which is released during the “fight or flight” response that Dr. Hans Selye discovered in the 1960’s, decreases with laughter.
In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn’t get a dose of humor as part of their therapy.
Muscles relax during and after a good laughing session.
Laughter positive effects all body systems, respiratory, circulatory, blood, cardiac etc.
Laughter can actually help to lower blood pressure and is also very good for people with diabetes.
We used to laugh 20 minutes out of every day in the 1950’s. Now we laugh for 6 minutes out of every day. Something has changed between then and now. How do you measure up with laughter?
Laughter medication for chronic depression and PTSD.
I was made aware of an important fact this month. There is a point in the course of chronic depression and intense stress where the limbic system (that’s the body “pleasure center”) simply shuts down. The bad news is that the affected individual feels messed up and does not want to do anything positive anymore. The good news is that in effect they are not in control of their behavior anymore, which translates into the fact that they need not feel guilty. There is a natural, non-medicated way to bring the limbic system back into normal functioning. All you have to do is laugh often and much. Science has proven that laughing stimulates the production of dopamine, which in turn stimulates the limbic system.
Twenty seconds of sustained laughter is the cardiovascular equivalent of 3 minutes of strenuous rowing. It has been scientifically proven stress creates a reaction in your body. But laughter and a changed attitude can turn around the effects of stress.
Laughter is the most inexpensive medicine. Sustained laughter stimulates an increased rate of endorphins, the body’s natural morphin
Laughter boosts the immune system. Proven by: Dr. Lee Berk, Loma Linda University, California
RESEARCH REPORTED: According to a study by Maciej S. Buchowski, PhD, and his colleagues, using a whole-room indirect calorimeter at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, a daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn 40 calories and melt away 4 pounds over the course of a year.
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A Laugh and a Half
Experts have long theorized that regular laughter improves physical health, but however happy the notion, there was no proof it was true. Finally there is. A new study establishes that laughter improves functioning of the blood vessels and blood flow similar to that which results from aerobic activity.
Michael Miller, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, gathered 20 healthy male and female volunteers, average age 33, to take part in the study. After fasting overnight, each of the volunteers watched a 15-minute segment from one of two movies — either from the dramatic and deeply disturbing Saving Private Ryan, or from the jolly film King Pin. A minimum of 48 hours later, participants watched the
segment from the other movie.
Before and immediately after volunteers watched each film clip, researchers did precise measurements of volunteers’ blood flow in the brachial artery (located in the upper arm). The tests showed considerable changes in blood vessel activity that lasted for at least 30 to 45 minutes after participants watched the films. After viewing the humorous film clip (and laughing), 19 of the 20 volunteers had an average increase in blood flow of 22%. This was
in striking contrast to the change in blood flow when the volunteers watched Saving Private Ryan — it produced an average blood flow decrease in 14 of the 20 volunteers of an astonishing 35%.
The reason for this change has to do with the lining of the blood vessels (the endothelium), which plays a critical role in vessel tone and cardiovascular health. Dr. Miller says the study shows that laughter apparently helps maintain healthy endothelium. He speculates that there are several reasons for this. It might be because during laughter, diaphragm muscles massage the internal body structure, but it also might be that laughter triggers chemical changes, such as the release of endorphins, hormones associated with an enhanced sense of well being. He adds that the negative finding produced by mental stress might well relate to a breakdown of nitric oxide, a compound that helps keep blood vessels properly dilated.
While there is still some mystery about exactly how laughter helps, there is no longer any question that it does promote good health. Dr. Miller advises aiming for 15 minutes a day of meaningful guffaws — they are good for the mood and good for the body.
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Here is the transcript from the interview of Larry King with Dr. Andrew Weil:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0510/25/lkl.01.html
Out of the blue it seems Larry says,”Comedians….”
KING: Comedians generally live a long time.
WEIL: Yeah.
KING: Is that because they are making people laugh?
WEIL: I think they’re making people laugh, and also I think they’re able to see the ridiculous side of life. It was one of the — I quoted my mother. One of her mottoes was, never lose your sense of humor. She said, no matter what happens, you have to always be able to laugh, especially when your husband just bought a brand new dodge Laramie!!!
KING: Good things happen to your body when you laugh, right?
WEIL: Excellent things.
(CROSSTALK)
WEIL: And have you heard about laughter yoga? There is an Indian physician, a few years ago he started in Mumbai, India and he’s now got these laughter clubs all over the world.
KING: You just sit and laugh all day?
WEIL: No, they get together for a half hour in these big groups. They do breathing exercises first and physical exercises. They don’t use humor. They start by doing simulated laughter, and then in a group, it becomes real. And people…
KING: Yeah, once you hear it.
WEIL: Once you hear it. And this is extremely healthy.
KING: I laugh just at the thought of it.
