Laughter – An Essential Ingredient of Good Health

For years, Readers Digest featured the column “Laughter, the Best Medicine.” It contains jokes, riddles and humorous musings designed to tickle the funny bone.

Just how important is laughter to our everyday health?

Turns out that when we laugh we produce natural killer cells, which destroy tumors and viruses. Additionally, there is an increase in the production of Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells (important for our immune system) and B-cells (which make disease-fighting antibodies). Besides lowering blood pressure, laughter increases oxygen in the blood, which also facilitates healing.

Laughter helps us to deal with stress, cope with loss, work through tragedy, hide our embarrassment and calm our fears.

Laughter helps the body relax. It lowers blood pressure, increases immune system functioning and assists in warding off disease.

LAUGHTER:

• Helps us connect with others
• Improves our coping with grief, fear or loss
• Makes us more productive – happy people have more energy
• Releases negative emotions such as anger, fear, sadness and depression
• Releases endorphins in the brain that help you to feel good

Did you also know that laughter is a form of aerobic exercise? You may even feel fatigued if you laugh continuously for any length of time. Just remind yourself to laugh well and often in order to experience the aerobic benefits of laughter.

What steps can you take to increase the amount of laughter in your life?

• Surround yourself with positive upbeat people who laugh a lot – laughter is contagious!
• Find out what makes you laugh – is it funny movies, watching the comedy channel, reading funny material? Whatever it is – do it more often!
• Don’t take yourself, or anyone else, or even life for that matter, so seriously.

Always remember, happiness is key… so laugh and when you do, laugh loud and laugh often!

– Wilson Chiropractic