Is laughter really the best medicine?

Fascinated by the medicinal effects of laughing, Dr. Kataria decided in 1995, to develop a club where people laugh for no reason, as a form of exercise.

Research shows that regular sessions of laughter boost the body’s overall functioning. The act of laughing triggers the release of endorphins - natural pain killers - and serotonin, which strengthens the immune system. Blood pressure is lowered; circulation is improved and mood becomes elevated.

The act of laughing away our worries improves mental and emotional health, according to a study conducted at the University of Maryland medical centre. Looking at the funny side of life has the power to ease muscular tension and reduce harmful effects of stressful emotion on the body. Both sides of the brain are stimulated when we laugh, enhancing our ability to concentrate and retain information.  

Having a good sense of humour can also help us to lose the dreaded bulge. Our diaphragm, respiratory, abdominal, legs and back muscles are all given a work out when we laugh. Digestion and absorption functioning is also generally improved.  Chuckling on a regular basis can result in up to 5 pounds of body fat being lost over a year, according to scientists at Vanderbilt University.  Laughing burns calories equivalent to several minutes on the rowing machine or exercise bike.  

Through scientific studies, Dr. Kataria discovered that self-induced laughter affects the brain in a similar way to the laughter caused by external stimuli.  While laughing at nothing may at first feel silly and forced, by the end of each session, participants are usually guffawing in a natural state of euphoria.  

Research conducted at University College, London, demonstrated that laughing is contagious. Exposure to laughter and other positive sounds invoked, in the brain, a similar response to that of smiling.  

Over 5,000 Laughter Clubs currently exist worldwide. While operating independently, Laughter Clubs are generally based on the concept of improving health, boosting emotional well-being and developing self-confidence.  

Today health professionals use the term “gelotology” in reference to the field of laughter and its medicinal effects on the body. This approach to therapy is rapidly growing in popularity amongst doctors, psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners.

"For the most part, when you go and get medical treatment, a clinician is not necessarily going to tell you to take two aspirins and watch Laurel and Hardy," says Dr Berks, a key researcher in the science of laughing. "But the reality is that's where we are and it's more real than ever. There's a real science to this. And it's as real as taking a drug."