Laughter – The Ultimate Medicine

One of my professors once shared that “just 20 seconds of laughter is the cardiovascular equivalent of 3 minutes of strenuous rowing.” Some experts refer to laughter as a “total body workout.”

Laughter not only brings joy to our lives, but it also has physiological effects on our immune system. Scientists have found that laughter:

- turns on the cells (T-lymphocytes) that fight foreign invaders
- increases the # and activity of natural killer cells that help fight against tumors and viruses
- increases the concentration of IgA, which protects against upper respiratory infections
- increases amount of gamma interferon, which helps turn on the immune system
- decreases stress because the body can’t produce stress hormones as easily

The great news about these benefits is they don’t just happen while you are laughing but the effects can last up to a day or so after.

A physiologist (Robert Ornstein) and a physician (David Sobel) noticed, “When confronted with a threatening situation, animals have essentially two choices: to flee or fight. Humans have a third alternative: to laugh.”

Develop your sense of humor.