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Home > Health > Is Laughing Good for Health?

Is Laughing Good for Health?

October 31, 2022
5 min read
By Shiza Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist

In this article:

  • Laughing and Health
  • Most-Asked Questions on Laughing and Health
  • Final Word

It was in 1979 in a book called “Anatomy of an Illness” that the health benefits of laughing were first discussed. Since then, various researches have been undertaken to evaluate the positive influence of laughter on the physical and mental health of a person. (1)

health benefits of laughing you might not know

Laughing seems such a silly thing to do for well-being. However, with the pandemic and its resulting consequences on people, laughter helps with coping.

Laughter is categorized into spontaneous laughter, which occurs in the presence of a stimulus such as a joke or event, and stimulated laughter, which is a physical response not related to any emotion.

According to the motion creates Emotion theory (MCET), both kinds of laughter can have the same health benefits, (1) which will be discussed in this article.

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Laughing and Health

Here are the health changes laughing can bring about.

1. Healthy heart

Laughter is considered an accessible and noninvasive alternative to medical therapies for certain conditions. Multiple studies have found its benefits in reducing overall blood pressure and improving heart rate. (2)

In a study done on the elderly in Japan, laughter therapy done once a week from standup comedy resulted in lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate and improved levels of serotonin in the blood. (2)

For the elderly, laughing can be a practical way to improve quality of life and well-being.

2. Better mental health

laughing can help reduce stress and improve your mental health

One of the most marked and direct impacts of laughter is on mental health. It can decrease the stress hormone cortisol, epinephrine, and growth hormone in the blood, leading to reduced levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. (3)

The reduction of stress can be useful in the management of many conditions that affect mental health such as overweight (4) and cancer. (5)

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3. Improved immunity

Laughter can also improve health factors associated with immunity.

In patients undergoing cancer treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy, laughter therapy improved the immunity of patients undergoing chemotherapy. (6)

In a study done on postpartum women who suffer from depression (what is known as baby blues), laughter therapy sessions for 60 minutes twice a week improved their immune cells as observed by measuring breast milk. (7)

4. Better pain tolerance

laughter serves as a distraction and helps improve pain tolerance

Laughter also serves as a distraction that can improve pain tolerance by increasing endorphins in the body. (8)

Studies have shown subjects who were shown a humorous film had better tolerance to pain following a 30-minute wait. In another study, listening to audio that induced laughter led to better endurance to discomfort. (1)

5. Improved sleep

Laughter therapy can be used to manage insomnia.

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In addition to improving depression, laughter therapy also improved insomnia and sleep quality in a study done on community-dwelling elderly. (9)

6. Improves indigestion

Functional dyspepsia – a type of indigestion caused by chronic illness, smoking, depression, lack of sleep, or an H. pylori infection – can also be managed using laughter therapy. (10)

Though studies have not found a direct link between laughter and dyspepsia, laughing may indirectly help alleviate the causes and symptoms of dyspepsia. (10)

7. Calorie burn

regular laughing sessions can help you burn some calories

Genuine laughter can actually burn some calories. Genuine voiced laughter for 10–15 minutes can increase energy expenditure by 10%–20%, which can lead to a 2–10 calorie loss with each laughing session. (11)

Most-Asked Questions on Laughing and Health

Does 15 minutes of laughter equal 2 hours of sleep?

It is said that 15 minutes of laughter may give you the same benefit as sleeping for 2 hours. This may be true for a nap; however, this does not mean that you can replace 2 hours of your daily sleep with laughing.

Does laughing reduce belly fat?

No type of activity can lead to fat loss in a specific place. However, there may be some overall calorie loss.

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Why do you feel tired after laughing?

Laughter stimulates the body and many organs. This can lead to a feeling of tiredness.

Final Word

Laughing may seem like a silly thing to do to improve health, but its effects on health, particularly mental health cannot be underestimated.

Especially in the case of the elderly who suffer from increased depressive symptoms, chronic illnesses, and disturbed sleep, laughter therapy can improve quality of life. It is a noninvasive, inexpensive, and practical therapeutic technique that can be useful in more ways than you know.

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References
  1. Louie D, Brook K, Frates E. The laughter prescription: A tool for Lifestyle Medicine. American journal of lifestyle medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125057/. Published June 23, 2016. 
  2. Yoshikawa Y, Ohmaki E, Kawahata H, et al. Beneficial effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in elders. Nursing open. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6279721/. Published July 18, 2018. 
  3. Yim JE. Therapeutic benefits of laughter in mental health: A theoretical review. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/239/3/239_243/_html/-char/en. Published July 16, 2016. 
  4. Funakubo N, Eguchi E, Hayashi R, et al. Effects of a laughter program on body weight and mental health among Japanese people with metabolic syndrome risk factors: A randomized controlled trial – BMC geriatrics. BioMed Central. https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-022-03038-y. Published April 23, 2022. 
  5. Wal CNvan der, Kok RN. Laughter-inducing therapies: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953619300851. Published March 5, 2019. 
  6. Sakai Y; Takayanagi K; Ohno M; Inose R; Fujiwara H; A trial of improvement of immunity in cancer patients by laughter therapy. Japan-hospitals: the journal of the Japan Hospital Association. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23984543/. 
  7. EY; RKHSHSY. Effects of laughter therapy on immune responses in postpartum women. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26496141/. 
  8. Dunbar RIM, Baron R, Frangou A, et al. Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold. Proceedings. Biological sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267132/. Published March 22, 2012. 
  9. CH; KHJY. Effects of laughter therapy on depression, cognition and sleep among the community-dwelling elderly. Geriatrics & gerontology international. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21241447/. 
  10. Yamamoto Y, Furukawa S, Kato A, et al. The association between laughter and functional dyspepsia in a young Japanese population. International journal of environmental research and public health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9103241/. Published May 7, 2022. 
  11. Buchowski MS; Majchrzak KM; Blomquist K; Chen KY; Byrne DW; Bachorowski JA; Energy expenditure of genuine laughter. International journal of obesity (2005). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16652129/.
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