Note to
Self: Put Comedy on Calendar
Jeanie Lerche Davis
Chronic stress can profoundly depress
the immune system … exposure to a one-hour humorous video reduced
secretion of stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol and enhanced the
anti-viral and antibacterial capabilities of the body's immune system.
It's
been said that laughter is the best medicine. But here's a new study showing
that even looking forward to a
good laugh -- simply by renting a funny video or checking out the TV comedy
listings -- can be good for your health.
In
the first study of its kind, researchers found that sheer anticipation of
watching a funny video triggered significant mood changes, reducing levels of
stress-related hormones and boosting disease-fighting immunity.
It's
the "biology of hope" at work, says lead author Lee Berk, MD,
assistant professor of family medicine at the University of California Irvine
College of Medicine. His findings were presented at the recent Society for
Neuroscience meeting.
"We
believe this 'biology of hope' underlies recovery from many chronic
disorders," Berk says in a press release. "Treatments that take
advantage of this hope may go a long way to stimulating immune responses and
hasten recovery."
Berk
and his colleagues have spent years focusing on the effect that moods have on
the immune system and disease. They have established the role played by
laughter in the body's ability to effectively fend off viruses and bacteria and
help fight chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Chronic
stress can profoundly depress the immune system, says Berk. He has found in
previous studies that exposure to a one-hour humorous video reduced secretion
of stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol and enhanced the anti-viral
and antibacterial capabilities of the body's immune system.
However,
this is the first study showing that anticipating an event can also trigger
stress-relieving changes.
In
his study, Berk enrolled 10 men -- all around 27-years old -- and measured them
for signs of stress. He also told them they would be watching a funny video in
about three days. He found that in each of the men, their negative moods
progressively lifted before they
saw the video.
Two
days before the video, mood ratings for depression dropped 51%, confusion 36%,
anger 19%, fatigue 15%, and tension 9%. These ratings became increasingly
dramatic immediately after watching the video; depression and anger dropped by
98%, fatigue by 87%, confusion by 75%, and tension by 61%. Each man also had
more vigor -- an increase of 12% before the video and 37% afterward.
"While
vigor actually shows signs of more energy and better resistance to disease, the
other mood categories are known to increase stress hormone levels and reduce
the effectiveness of the immune system," Berk says. "Positive
anticipation of humor starts the ball rolling in a sense, in which moods begin
to change in ways that help the body fight illness. We believe this shows that
even anticipation can be used to help patients recover from a wide range of
disorders."
Additional Resources:
How
the Body Reacts to Thought
Building
Healthy & Strong Self-Esteem - Living Confidently! Self-Hypnosis CD
Stress in the body
Free report
