8 Health Benefits of Laughter

Is there anything better than a contagious giggle that you absolutely can’t control? (Ok, maybe not so good in school or church.) Laughter works wonderfully well in the moment, but it also has some surprising long-term health benefits. In the book A Better Brain at Any Age: The Holistic Way to Improve Your Memory, Reduce Stress, and Sharpen Your Wits (Conari Press, 2009), author Sondra Kornblatt explores how laughter can truly make you feel better.

She writes that the new field of gelotology is exploring the benefits of laughter. It was brought to the public’s awareness in Norman Cousins’ memoir Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins found that comedies, like those of the Marx Brothers, helped him feel better and get some pain-free sleep. That’s because laughter helps the pituitary gland release its own pain-suppressing opiates.

What can laughter do?:

Lower blood pressure
Increase vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood
Give a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles
Reduce certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
Increase the response of tumor- and disease-killing cells such as Gamma-interferon and T-cells
Defend against respiratory infections–even reducing the frequency of colds–by immunoglobulon in saliva.
Increase memory and learning; in a study at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, humor during instruction led to increased test scores

Improve alertness, creativity, and memory

Humor and creativity work in similar ways, says humor guru William Fry, M.D., of Stanford University–by creating relationships between two disconnected items, you engage the whole brain.

Humor works quickly. Less than a half-second after exposure to something funny, and electrical wave moves through the higher brain functions of the cerebral cortex. The left hemisphere analyzes the words and structures of the joke; the right hemisphere “gets” the joke; the visual sensory area of the occipital lobe creates images; the limbic (emotional) system makes you happier; and the motor sections make you smile or laugh.

So let’s laugh. What makes you laugh? Tell us your favorite funny movie, or how about a good joke?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Michele W.

2:53AM PST on Jan 26, 2012

Thank you

send a green star

Sarah M.

4:13PM PDT on Oct 29, 2011

thanks

Eternal G.

5:18PM PDT on Sep 20, 2011

Laughter is the best medicine!

Sanja T.

12:01PM PDT on Sep 10, 2011

interesting...thanks

Melinda K.

6:46PM PDT on Aug 30, 2011

If it feels good do it! Imagine how much better the world was if everyone was laughing for a few hours each day, like we did as kids. Its hard to have a war when you are laughing :-)

Geraldine D.

5:30PM PDT on Aug 29, 2011

Laughter is indeed a potent medicine for good health and a mood enhancer!

Hilary S.

3:12AM PDT on Aug 28, 2011

high time sources of laughter were provided as rebatable prescription medication. of course the drug companies wouldn't be happy!

Ganna K.

8:09PM PDT on Aug 27, 2011

Participating in the laughter yoga sessions and then becoming a leader changed my life!

Judith C.

5:53PM PDT on Aug 27, 2011

I find that I am more relaxed after a good laugh.I am more relaxed if I am laughing with someone rather than alone,it is always good