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Mental Health
Laughter has Potential Medical Benefits
Date: 20/11/08
Ever heard of Patch Adams? If not, allow me to fill you in: Patch Adams is an American medical doctor, professional clown, performer, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1972. I know it sounds like a whole bag of tricks and it is! Good ones too.
Now you may ask: ‘A clown and a doctor, what do they have in common?’ My answer to that would be: Probably a lot more than most doctors would care to know.
Laughter is the best medicine
Plato's remark that "Even the gods love jokes." must be correct. The value of laughter is recorded in sacred scripture, for example the Koran states: "He deserves Paradise who makes his companions laugh."
Extensive research on 'laughter therapy' only began in 1976 after the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Norman Cousins. In 1979, this article became the first chapter of his book, 'Anatomy of an Illness.' In the book Norman Cousins explains how he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). AS usually results in acute inflammation of the spine and can affect other areas of the body as well. Norman Cousins' case was so severe that he was given little hope of recovery and only a few months to live.
Norman Cousins realised that negative thoughts and attitudes can result in illness and so he reasoned that positive thoughts and attitudes could have the opposite effect. So he left the hospital and checked into a hotel where he took large doses of vitamin C and watched humorous movies and shows. He found that ten minutes of energetic laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. He continued his routine until he recovered. Thus, he proved that laughter is the best medicine, and pointed the way to mind-body medicine.
No joke
Studies released in 2005 at the American College of Cardiology recommend that people should try to laugh on a regular basis. Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in Baltimore said, "Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system. The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be to exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day."
According to a US study by Dr. Maciej S. Buchowski at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, a daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn 40 calories, or as much as 4 pounds per year. Up to 80 muscles are used during a hearty laugh, the blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster and blood oxygen levels increase. In fact, a study released last year by German gelotologist (the study of humour, laughter and what happens to our bodies when we’re exposed to humour) Professor Gunther Sickl revealed that a one-minute guffaw has the same health benefits as a 45-minute gym workout. When the laughter stops, the blood pressure returns to normal and stress hormones are reduced - actually strengthening the immune system.
Roaring with benefits
Available scientific evidence does not support humour as an effective treatment for diseases, however laughter has many benefits including positive physical changes and an overall sense of well-being. International research has found real physiological benefits for patients. The findings show that humour:
- Has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, similar to exercise. It increases heart rate, oxygen consumption and works the muscles in the face and the stomach.
- Has a positive effect on the respiratory system. Laughter is followed by a long sigh and a large intake of breath, leading to better respiratory movement.
- Some studies have shown an increase in endorphin levels. This enhances a feeling of well-being and helps in pain reduction.
- Improved immunity, because laughter increases the level of N-K (natural killer) cells and it increases the number of T-cells that have helper/ suppressor receptors which helps the body’s defence against aberrant cells such as cancer.
- Reduces cortisol – the body’s major stress hormone. This occurs not just during laughter but many hours afterwards.
- Neuroendocrine and stress-related hormones decrease during episodes of laughter, supporting proof for the claim that laughter reduces stress.
- Stabilises blood pressure
- Massages inner organs
- Stimulates circulation
Send in the clowns
Dr. Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams (Patch is the name of his clown character) founded his home-based hospital the Gesundheit Institute in 1972. Since the 1970s the Gesundheit Institute has treated over 15,000 patients without payment, medical insurance or formal facilities. One of the continued missions of the Gesundheit Institute involves the concept of Humanitarian Clowning, a vision of healthcare based on fun and friendship within a community to promote compassion in healing. The project uses the theme of laughter as an integral element of effective doctoral and medical care. In the past, the Gesundheit Institute has taken clowns into the war zones in Bosnia, refugee camps in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as South African AIDS orphanages.
In the first 12 years (1971-1983) they were open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for all manner of medical problems from birth to death. With only three doctors they saw 500-1000 people each month, with five to fifty overnight guests a night; The Gesundheit Institute has never been sued. At least three thousand of their patients had mental illness and no psychiatric medicines were ever prescribed.
Dr Adams and The Gesundheit Institute may have a different slant on health care but it may be something others are thankfully catching on to. A recent survey has found that 1 in 5 National Cancer Institute treatment centres in the US offered ‘humour therapy’ complimentary to conventional cancer therapies. Many hospitals and treatment centres have set up special rooms where humorous materials and sometimes people are placed to help make people laugh. Many hospitals use volunteers who visit patients to provide the opportunity for laughter. The latest ‘health craze’ is Laughter Yoga...
Have a laugh, there’s definitely something in it for you.
... and another thing
Spinach is an absolute powerhouse of nutrients. It helps promote gastrointestinal and eye health and contributes to the prevention of osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer and inflammatory disorders. It is a versatile vegetable that can be served raw as a salad, lightly steamed as a side dish, pureed as soup, or added to pastas, casseroles and omelettes. Seek out organically grown spinach, as pesticides are commonly used on conventionally grown varieties.
Until next time,
Francois Lubbe
UK Editor
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Sources:
‘Medical benefits of laughter’ by Rev. Ed Hird, published online, 3.telus.net
‘Benefits of Laughter’ by Chuck Galozzi, published online, personal-development
‘UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE STUDY SHOWS LAUGHTER HELPS BLOOD VESSELS FUNCTION BETTER’ by Bill Seiler, published online 07/03/05, laughteryogachicago.com
‘Health benefits of Laughter’ published online, addlaughter.com
‘Vision for a Free Hospital based on Fun and Friendship, by Dr. Hunter ‘ Patch’ Adams, published online patchadams.org
‘Healthy Foods for a Holiday Table: Spinach’ published online, drweil.com
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