A chuckle a day keeps the doctor away

It is said, time and again, that laughter is the best medicine and an increasing number of researches are supporting this claim.

Researchers at Loma Linda University and Oakcrest Health Research Institute in Yucaipa discovered that a good laugh — or even the anticipation of laughter — appears to have positive effects on the body's hormones.

During a study, they divided 32 healthy men into two groups. Half were instructed to view a one-hour humorous video of their own selection while the other half simply sat in a room with an assortment of magazines. Blood was drawn before, during and after the trial.

Results showed that the men who watched the humorous video had, on average, 27% more beta-endorphins and 87% more human growth hormone in their blood than the control group even before the video clips started to roll. The levels of these beneficial hormones remained elevated during and after the experiment.

According to Loma Linda University lead researcher Lee Berk, "The benefits of laughter are similar to exercise," He added that "Laughter has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Blood pressure is lowered overall and resting heart rate decreases. Additionally, the immune system appears to get tuned up."

This study just proves that laughter is no laughing matter! Thank goodness I have a daily supply of hilarious jokes from my friend Shaun Umstead! Keep those jokes coming, Shaun!