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Reduce
Your Stress through Laughter
 A
study conducted in 2006 identified an interaction between the brain, behavior
and the immune system. It was found that simply anticipating an experience of
laughter has the ability to boost health protecting hormones. These same
researchers have now found two years later that anticipating a positive laughter
experience also reduces stress hormones that are believed to be detrimental to
your health. Dr. Lee Berk, the study’s lead researcher at Loma Linda University,
Loma Linda California, stated that "Our findings lead us to believe that by
seeking out positive experiences that make us laugh we can do a lot with our
physiology to stay well."
The researcher’s earlier
work found that simply the anticipation of a "mirthful laughter" had significant
health benefits. In that study it was found that two hormones-beta endorphins
(of the family of chemicals that is a believed to alleviate depression) and
human growth hormone (HGH, which is believed to help with the immune system) had
an increase of 27% and 87% respectively, when participants were anticipating
watching a humorous video. There was no similar increase found in the group
that was not anticipating watching a funny film.
Later research found that
individual's with the same anticipation of laughter had reductions in three
stress hormones including cortisol (referred to as "the stress hormone"),
epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopac, (a brain chemical which helps produce
epinephrine, were reduced by 39%, 70% and 38% respectively. Researchers
reported that these numbers were statistically significantly compared to a
control group. It has been believed for some time that an individual
experiencing chronically high stress hormone levels can experience a weakening
of the immune system.
This research is Entitled
Cortisol and Catecholamine Stress Hormone Decrease is Associated with the
Behavior of Perceptual Anticipation of Mirthful Laughter. It was conducted by
Lee Berk with Stanley A. Tan, both of the Oak Crest Health Research Institute,
Loma Linda, California; and Dottie Berk, Loma Linda University Health Care, Loma
Linda. Lee Berk is presenting the team's findings at the 121st annual meeting
of the American Physiological Society, part of the Experimental Biology 2008
scientific conference.
American Physiological
Society (2008, April 10). Anticipating A Laugh Reduces Our Stress Hormones,
Study Shows. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2008/04/080407114617.htm
Additional Information and
webpage by
Paul Susic
MA Licensed
Psychologist Ph.D. Candidate
(Health and Geriatric Psychologist)
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