You’re unlikely to see a doctor prescribe a few Ben Stiller movies in lieu of a course of antibiotics. But there is some truth to the old adage “Laughter is the best medicine.”
Whether you prefer to chuckle, chortle, cackle or crack up, the end result is the same. Laughter relieves stress. It also boosts the immune system and reduces blood pressure. It may even help stave off heart disease and prevent a heart attack.
No joke.
In one intriguing study, University of Maryland Medical Center researchers determined that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh compared with people without heart disease. Those with heart problems often failed to recognize humor and were less likely to use it themselves.
While the scientists conceded they don’t know exactly how laughing protects the heart and ultimately wards off heart attacks, they did notice that laughing helped the body’s blood vessels function better. And, they noted, when left unchecked, stress can cause inflammation throughout the body, leading to clogged arteries and ultimately heart attacks.
“The ability to laugh – either naturally or as learned behavior – may have important implications in societies such as the U.S. where heart disease remains the number one killer,” said researcher Dr. Michael Miller in a written statement. “The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day.”
The recommendation is already being taken to heart across the country, as so-called “laughter clubs” pop up and introduce people to the art of laughing.
The skeptics among us might insist there is no truth to the notion that a smile a day keeps the doctor away. Certainly, additional research is needed in this area.
But it is difficult to find any harm with it.
Laughter, of course, has no deleterious side effects. It doesn’t involve a co-pay or a long wait in a hospital’s emergency room. You don’t need a prescription. You don’t need a referral. You just need a sense of humor and the willingness to let yourself laugh.