Is the popular saying, laughter is the best medicine, overstated and underrated?

Perhaps you should’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to make more time to laugh, in all seriousness.  It comes as no surprise to learn that laughing can positively impact your mood and quality of life. Though hesitations arise from those in the medical field as to whether laughter should be directly credited for making people feel better, here are five things we surely know about laughter:

1. Laughter emulates exercise (to an extent). When we laugh, a domino effect unfolds. We stretch our facial and bodily muscles, stimulate our heart and lungs, and enhance oxygen intake similar to the effects of mild exercise [Bennett & Lengacher, 2006].

2. Laughter cultivates open communication. Several researchers have discoursed laughing as a defense mechanism and coping strategy due to its therapeutic nature and euphoric effects. While evidence supporting laughter improving one’s health remains insufficient or weak in scale, using humor has been attributed to moderating a patient’s pain and credited for creating lines of communication between medical professionals and their patients [Bennett, 2003]. Humor has been shown to diminish the formal exchange of communication and allow patients to feel more comfortable in discussing difficult issues [Bennett, 2003].

3. Laughter releases endorphins. Seeking a runner’s high without running? Laughter can provide a similar effect. Laughing with others has been directly linked to triggering the release of endorphins in the brain, leading to a euphoric-feeling [Arponen et al., 2017]. Studies also show that the more opioid receptors in an individual’s brain, the more potent the euphoric effect [Arponen et al., 2017].

4. Laughter enables long-term relationships. Do you consider laughter as a factor in establishing relationships? Research has shown that endorphin release due to social-induced laughter may contribute to our ability in forming and maintaining social bonds [University of Turku, 2017]. Laughter is highly contagious causing the endorphin response to spread throughout large groups [University of Turku, 2017].

5. Laughter can help boost immune function. Stress can unquestionably take a significant toll on a person’s quality of life. However, research has shown in some instances that mirthful laughter can not only be a way to decrease stress, but also be a way to boost the immune system [Bennett, McCann, Rosenberg & Zeller, 2003]. Perhaps the key to minimizing stress in your daily life is adding a dose of laughter to your routine.

Though we might not be able to say with scientific certainty that laughing directly affects your health, there is certainly no downside to a genuine, hearty laugh. It may not have abilities to cure ailing patients, but it has enough power to uplift someone’s day, attitude, and outlook.

References

Arponen, E., Dunbar, R., Hari, R., Hirvonen, J., Jääskeläinen, I., Karjalainen, T., Manninen, S., Nummenmaa, L., Sams, M., Tuominen, L. (2017, May 23). Social laughter triggers endogenous opioid release in humans. The Journal of Neuroscience. Retrieved from http://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/early/2017/05/23/JNEUROSCI.0688-16.2017.full.pdf

Bennett, H. (2003, December). Humor in Medicine. Southern Medical Journal, 96 (12), 1257-1260. Retrieved from https://www.utmb.edu/gem/pdfs/humor_in_medicine.pdf

Bennett, M., McCann, J., Rosenberg, L., Zeller, J. (2003, April). The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. Alternative therapies in health and medicine 9(2), 38-45. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12652882

Bennett, M., Lengacher, C. (2006, January). Humor and laughter may influence health. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 3(1), 61-63. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2006/383090/abs/

University of Turku. (2017, June 1). Social laughter releases endorphins in the brain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 19, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170601124121.htm
 

More Reading and Resources
LAUGHTER: The Best Medicine or Best Measure?
Start a "Laugh Club"
Humor Theories and the Physiological Benefits of Laughter