A joke a day can keep the doc away, Bill attests

Want to boost your immune system? Try comedy.

You don’t need to be a scientist to know laughing triggers endorphins — it feels good to giggle. But science has proven that laughing is also good for physical health. (And news consumption; don’t miss our daily Ghastly Groaner.)

April is National Humor Month.

While the social media claim that just “one minute of laughter” can “boost the immune system for 24 hours” is unsupported by a broader review of research, don’t dismiss it entirely. What’s certain is that laughter decreases stress hormones and can increase production of infection-fighting antibodies, improving disease resistance. Anger and stress have the opposite effect.

A pal in law school, Bill, was a feisty 30-something with no hair and a great story. While the rest of us were buying casebooks and sweating school loans that summer, Bill was fighting for his life.

The short version went something like this:

Doctor: “I’m sorry; cancer won. Gather your friends and family; it could be a matter of days.”

Bill: “Eff that and eff you!” (Only he didn’t say eff.)

Bill isn’t religious, but he feels uplifted by laughter. So he called everyone he knew and asked to be barraged with jokes — corny, off-color, morbid — any kind of humor, every single day. Just please keep it coming, he said.

That was 1994, and he’s still laughing.

Of course laughter doesn’t cure cancer, even if Bill (literally) swears it did. But it must have helped him fight it. At minimum, laughing reduced the stress of his illness, and scores of studies indicate stress is a big factor in health and recovery. Hospital cancer centers use laughter therapy in treatment plans.

Studies also link laughter with:

- Better oxygen consumption

- Epinephrine changes — decreased stress hormones, and an adrenaline “rush”

- Muscle relaxation

- Lower anxiety

- Improved immune response

- Increased serotonin production (reduces effects of stress)

- Increased pain tolerance (or reduced pain)

Let’s close with one from Bill:

After a checkup, the doctor comes in with test results. The doctor says, “I have some bad news; you have cancer and Alzheimer’s.” The man replies, “Well, at least I don’t have cancer.”

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network who hopes we’ll laugh more and frown less. Jokes welcome at Sholeh@cdapress.com.