Is laughter really the best medicine?

Did you hear about the 26 Japanese women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who went to a hospital in Tokyo? They had their blood drawn, but then, instead of receiving medical treatment, they were ushered into a small theatER. There they watched a performance of rakugo, the traditional Japanese comic storytelling.

But in this study, published in 1996, the joke was on them. After the performance, the women reported that their pain levels were much reduced. Not only that, their blood levels of cortisol and epinephrine had dropped, suggesting a reduction in stress. And their levels of interleukin-6 and interferon gamma, indicators of inflammation, had also dropped.

We have all heard that “laughter is the best medicine,” but now, there is some evidence to support the old saying. Though research into laughter and its effects is far from conclusive (and some critics believe that much of it has not been done well), several small studies have found a connection between laughter and improvement in the health of the cardiovascular and immune systems. Add these effects to those everyone knows about — reduced stress and improved mood — and laughter may indeed be good for us.

The History Of Laughter

If laughter is good for us, why didn’t we know about its benefits before? An old Irish proverb states, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” And as early as the 1300s, Henri de Mondeville, a French professor of surgery, wrote: “Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regimen of the patient’s life for joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him, and by having someone tell him jokes. The surgeon must remind the patient that the body grows fat from joy and thin from sadness.” (This was in the days when fat was good!)

Interest in laughter increased in modern times when journalist and author Norman Cousins wrote in the 1960s about his recovery from ankylosing spondylitis, a sometimes severe form of arthritis that can fuse the vertebrae of the spine. Cousins believed that negative emotions had a negative impact on his health, and he thought that positive emotions might have a healthful effect. So, with doctors putting the odds for his recovery at 500 to 1, Cousins checked himself out of the hospital and into a hotel room, bringing with him videos of Candid Camera, the Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy, humorous books, and anything else that might make him laugh. After a while, he found that 10 minutes of hearty laughter gave him two hours of pain-free sleep. He treated himself by eating healthy food, taking vitamin C, and laughing as much as he could. Cousins amazed doctors by eventually recovering.

Many studies have been performed to test Cousins’ claims. For example, Dr. Margaret Stuber of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA had children watch funny videos before, during, and after putting their hands in ice-cold water. The kids were able to better tolerate the water when they laughed. Studies such as this build a preliminary case for laughter’s therapeutic effects.

The Effects Of Laughter

Growing research suggests that regularly getting your giggles going offers several health benefits beyond the emotional ones. Specifically, laughing appears to:

• Increase blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center measured the blood-moving capacity of arteries after volunteers watched humorous or stressful films. After volunteers laughed through scenes from There’s Something About Mary, their arteries expanded, but they constricted after viewing battle scenes form Saving Private Ryan. 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 videos.

• Lower blood sugar. People with type 2 diabetes maintain better blood sugar-control after watching comic performances, research suggests. A Japanese study of 10 people with the condition showed that this may be a result of the beneficial changes in immune regulation that prevent damaging inflammation from undermining blood-sugar control.

• Regulate the immune system. In a small study, laughter significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory-triggering cytokines in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Other research suggests that after viewing humorous films, people with asthma become more resistant to flare-ups, 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.

• Burn calories. Laughing 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 four pounds a year if done daily.

• Ease pain. Laughter contracts and relaxes muscles in the abdomen, face, and shoulders, which might ease muscle tension and spasms that contribute to pain. And the temporary distraction helps, too.

So how do we get some?

Laughter is cheap, but it can be hard to come by. When we’re weighed down with grief, sadness, frustration, and anxiety, how do we find humor in life? Well, it turns out that humor is actually all around us, if we can learn to see it. Here are some strategies for putting laughter in your day.

• Watch or listen to funny TV shows, movies, and radio programs. There are lots of comedies out there, at the theater, on video, and right on your TV or radio. You can also read humorous books. Ask friends to suggest their favorite laugh riots.

• Get social. A study published in 1989 showed that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings than when they are alone. Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. Just having other people around may mean you’ll laugh more than you otherwise would. Dinner parties, game nights, and other social events are more ways to help you laugh a little more.

• Look for humor in your life. By looking for humor in everyday experiences, even the frustrating ones, you may find yourself being more lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about.

• Spend more time with children. Children are natural comics. They laugh easily, and laughter is contagious. Of course, their behavior is often unintentionally funny, too. Pets are a laugh-promoting alternative to children.

• Fake it. Even if your laughter is not totally genuine, you may still be able to get health benefits from it. And sometimes, pretending to laugh can progress to real laughter. This principle lies behind a practice called “yogic laughter” or “laughing meditation,” which was developed by a physician in India, Dr. Madan Kataria. He started a number of “laughing clubs” throughout India. There are now 5,000 of these laughing clubs in over 40 countries,

And no one can argue against laughter’s effect on our emotions. Some researchers believe this is its greatest contribution to good health. Laughter acts as a positive emotional force, distracting your mind from pain and negative emotions such as anger and guilt. By turning you from these negative feelings, laughter helps to reduce stress, And stress reduction is a good thing. Stress has been shown in numerous studies to raise blood pressure and decrease immune system response.

Laughter has a social benefit, too. It helps to bring people together — reducing stress even more in the process. As cultural anthropologist Mahadev Apte writes, “Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter, the more bonding occurs within the group.”

Recommendations

While four-year-olds laugh every four minutes, adults do it about once an hour. So spend time each day having fun. Trade jokes, watch comedies, horse around with your kids or grandkids, or share a laugh while in line at the grocery store. It will brighten your day — and maybe provide a much-appreciated dose of mirthful medicine.