You know the feeling (hopefully!): Something silly sets you off – a movie, a joke, or maybe someone near you slips and falls – and you burst into laughter.
It feels good to laugh. And since the 1970s, medical experts have learned that laughter can boost pain tolerance and improve overall well-being.
A recent systematic review takes a more careful look at the mechanisms at play, and whether laughter can interrupt the human stress response. The article, published last year in the journal Plos One, combined the results from eight separate studies to answer the question: Does spontaneous laughter reduce cortisol levels?
First, a little background: Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone. It is produced by the adrenal glands and is responsible for maintaining blood pressure, supporting immune function, boosting metabolism, and helping you stay awake. When you are under stress, your body produces more cortisol; therefore, it is a good measure of stress levels. Too much cortisol can lead to weight gain, digestive problems, muscle weakness, depression, and anxiety.
The review article identified eight studies in which participants were encouraged to laugh by watching a funny video, working with a laughter therapist, or participating in a self-administered laughter program. Some of the studies measured participants’ cortisol levels before and after a laughter session and others included control groups, which measured cortisol levels of participants without laughter.
Combining the data, researchers found that cortisol levels fell by 31.9% for people who participated in laughter interventions — and even a single laughter session led to a 36.7% reduction in cortisol. It didn’t matter how long participants laughed; any laughter led to reductions in cortisol.
“Our results support the ancient knowledge that spontaneous laughter is good medicine (preventive or therapeutic) being associated with a greater reduction in cortisol levels as compared with usual activities,” the authors wrote. “These analyses demonstrated the potential therapeutic role of laughter-inducing interventions as a complementary strategy to improve everyone’s well-being.”
The recent review builds on previous research that has found that laughter is good medicine. A 2018 review found that laughter boosts well-being in older adults. Laughter is also found to improve mental health and bolster personal development. There is also clear evidence that laughter helps improve cardiovascular health.
The take-home message: Laughter is good medicine, and there is data to prove it. So do your best to find opportunities to laugh and giggle as often as possible.
