Clown, Humour And Health | Jolly Good Productions (Blog)

Why humor and laughter is good for you…

decreases or attenuates classical stress hormonal responses. there is a decrease in serum cortical, growth hormone, plasma epinephrine. There is no significant increase in serum prolactin, beta-endorphin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and plasma norephinephrine.
increases salvary immunoglobulin A (slg A ) concentrations that protect against some viruses. It increases significantly after a humor episode and those who consistently use humor have a higher initial sigA concentration.
increases the disease fighting immune cells by increasing spontaneous blastogenesis ( immune cell proliferation ) and decreasing Cortisol, a hormone that suppresses immune capability.
has an effect similar to the effects of taking physical exercise. Muscles are activated, heart rate increases and respiration is amplified with increased oxygen exchange. Mirthful laughter is involves extensive skeletal muscle participation.
opposes directly those emotions ( rage and fear ) which have been specifically recorded as being associated with the precipitation of heart attack.
increases creativity.
relieves anxiety and tension by serving as an outlet for hostility and anger, providing a healthy escape from reality and lightening the heaviness related to critical illness.
provides emotional distance from a problem so that it can be seen from a new perspective. Humour doesn’t make any problem smaller but it makes it part of a bigger picture.
increase rapport with others and crates social bonds.
indicates a patient’s mental health. Abnormal laughter is often the first obseverable symptom of mental problems.
emotional tears ( from laughter or crying ) have a higher protein concentration than those caused by another source and may be an excretion of toxic substances caused by stress.