NEW YORK • Comedian Carl Reiner, 97, believes humour has enriched his life and boosted his longevity.
"There is no doubt about it," he said. "Laughter is my first priority. I watch something every night that makes me laugh."
Studies suggest that laughter can be the best medicine. It can improve health and possibly stave off disease, thereby extending life.
It also eases stress and helps the ill cope with sickness and pain.
"A friendly sense of humour will bless you with better social relations as well as coping skills, and the reduced risk of dying early," said Professor Emeritus Sven Svebak of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
He has studied the health impact of humour for more than 50 years.
"A friendly sense of humour acts like shock absorbers in a car, a mental shock absorber in everyday life to help us cope better with a range of frustrations, hassles and irritations," he noted.
Said Dr Edward Creagan, professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science: "When people are funny, they attract other people, and community connectedness is the social currency for longevity.
"Nobody wants to be around negative, whiny people. It's a drain. We're attracted to funny people."
That old cliche about laughter being the best medicine, as with many cliches, is probably grounded in truth. The psychological effects of laughter are obvious but it may bring physiological benefits as well.
Moreover, it is free and has no bad side effects.
Laughter stimulates the body's organs by increasing oxygen intake to the heart, lungs and muscles, and stimulates the brain to release more endorphins, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It also helps people handle stress by easing tension, relaxing the muscles and lowering blood pressure.
It relieves pain and improves the mood. Laughter also strengthens the immune system.
"When we laugh, it decreases the level of the evil stress hormone cortisol," Dr Creagan said.
"When we are stressed, it goes high and this interferes with the parts of the brain that regulate emotions. When that happens, the immune system deteriorates and becomes washed in a sea of inflammation, which is a factor in heart disease, cancer and dementia.
"Cortisol interferes with the body's immune system, putting us at risk for these three groups of diseases."
For sick people, laughter can distract from pain and provide them with a sense of control when they otherwise might feel powerless, experts said.
Moreover, it is often the patients themselves who crack the jokes.
"Some of the funniest patients I have ever met were those dying of cancer or struggling with alcoholism," said Dr Creagan.
One woman with breast cancer he treated for 15 years was still making jokes as she neared death. During her final visit, she asked the doctor how much time she had left.
"I asked her why this was important to her right now," Dr Creagan recalled. "She said: 'I can max out all my husband's credit cards, so there'll be nothing left for the second wife.'
"I think she got all those extra quality years because she was funny."
WASHINGTON POST
