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Science

Why Laughter Is The Best Medicine 49

Posted by timothy from the because-of-reader's-digest dept.
John writes "We know that laughter can be helpful in stressful situations, but researchers are discovering that laughter can do a lot more. When we laugh, we not only create an overall feeling of well-being for ourselves, but also release cells such as Gamma-interferon, T-cells and B-cells - all of which make disease-destroying antibodies. Not only are we releasing more of them, we are also making these crucial cells more active. Organisations such as Camp Quality have acknowledged this -- naturally, their slogan affirms that 'laughter is the best medicine.' Click here to read more."
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Why Laughter Is The Best Medicine More

Why Laughter Is The Best Medicine

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  • Heh heh... (Score:4, Funny)

    by tunah ( 530328 ) <sam&krayup,com> on Wednesday October 02, 2002 @09:03PM (#4378070) Homepage
    Hee hee... Gamma-interferon, T-cells and B-cells - all of which make disease-destroying antibodies.

    Okay, I don't get it.

  • Autoimmune Problems (Score:3, Funny)

    by DustMagnet ( 453493 ) on Wednesday October 02, 2002 @09:06PM (#4378086) Journal
    So, since I have an over active immune system (allergies and asthma), I should avoid laughing?

    Ha! I don't think so. LOL

    • Perhaps it's not that you should avoid laughing, but that you are laughing at the wrong things. Maybe if you laughed at the right things, your immune system would quit attacking the wrong things.
    • Mod the parent "+1, Healthy".

    • Re:Autoimmune Problems (Score:4, Interesting)

      by tid242 ( 540756 ) on Thursday October 03, 2002 @02:09PM (#4382128) Homepage
      So, since I have an over active immune system (allergies and asthma), I should avoid laughing?

      Asthma and allergies are a result of type I hypersensitivity reactions which mean they primarily are mediated via IgE, mast cells, and basophils (and therefore histamine), which is very different than plasma cells pumping out antibodies (IgG not IgE), and don't have a whole lot to do with gamma-IFN...

      -tid242

      • This is not entirely accurate.

        Allergies are the result of two things:

        1)When cooked protein is cooked, new substances originated. Many of the resulting amino acids are not completely decomposed, and their foreign structure cannot be decomposed by digestive enzymes. These free amino acids are still somewhat chemically similar to their natural counterparts and are incorporated into the body. The human immune system targets these foreign proteins and attempts to destroy them. Auto-immune allergies are the result. An example of allergic inflammation such as this would be arthritis and acne.

        2) The immune system works just like vaccines do obviously. Raising a child in a sterile environment will diminish immune response in time.

        As far as asthma, asthma is POSITIVELY not at all related to allergies. Asthma is caused by one thing, and one thing alone, kappa-opiod receptor agonists. The great lie is only the poppy contains opiod peptides. Wheat contains glutomorphine molecules 100x as powerful as those found in the poppy. Further, milk contains opiod peptides to create an addictive bond between mother and child and to calm the child. MSG, monosodium glutamate, also influences glutamate receptors in the brain, which seem to affect opiod receptors.

        Junk food, and many processed foods, contain Whey, Glutan, and MSG. Whey and Glutan are chemically protected against digestion, so that they decompose into opiod peptides during the digestive process. Heat induces these chemical reactions. When milk and wheat glutan are treated and heated in a special way, very pure opiod peptides result. These substances are added to junk food to induce an addictive craving, and to make you eat more. The reason so many people are fat is due to these substances.

        These opiods have the same physiological effects as morphine. They induce respiratory suppression, constipation, and apathy. Naltrexone, a narcotic antagonist, will eliminate constipation and asthma in 99% of people who suffer from those disorders.

        These substances are allowed by governments because they induce apathy, and make people easier to control. The roman emperors weren't stupid when the only food they gave away was bread. That was the only way they could keep control of the people.
  • As a doctor, I find that funny.

  • Disease-destroying antibodies (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fluor2 ( 242824 ) on Wednesday October 02, 2002 @09:08PM (#4378097)
    "When we laugh, we not only create an overall feeling of well-being for ourselves, but also release cells such as Gamma-interferon, T-cells and B-cells - all of which make disease-destroying antibodies."

    Well you can say what you want, but this might not be because the body is "healing itself". I believe it's more like a function to prevent from being infected by some diseases. We all know that we mostly laugh when other people are present, rite? So the probability of being infected are greater when you are laughing.

  • When I laugh, I often release F-Cells (anti-fragrant bodies). I don't see how this medicine is so good because friends become less friendly.

    Sometimes the release of F-Cells generates more laughter which results in yet more F-Cells--a brutal escalation of anti-fragrant activity.

    The cycle is at its worst when the initial laughter is provoked by the release of SBD-cells.

  • Doctor: You're wasting valuable interferon!
    Homer: Well you're interferon with my good time!

  • About K5 [kuro5hin] (Score:1, Informative)

    by techangel ( 545983 )
    I submitted it to Kuro5hin.org before. But I did also submit it to Slashdot.org after.

    Slashdot ain't stealing stuff =)

  • Every time I hear "laughter is the best medicine". (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 02, 2002 @09:56PM (#4378302)
    I think of this quote:

    "Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess was
    why several of us died of tuberculosis." --Jack Handey

  • This is well-known in hebrew culture (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Trogre ( 513942 ) on Wednesday October 02, 2002 @10:26PM (#4378438) Homepage
    Proverbs 17:22 [cforc.com]:
    A merry heart does good like medicine.

  • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • That was a really funny article. I feel better already.

  • While watching hot chicken soup spray out of a sick person's nose may be funny for everyone else, it probably isn't the best medicine for said sick person.

    Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. - Jack Handey

  • World's best medicine discovered? (Score:4, Informative)

    by Tidan ( 541596 ) <tidan_md@y[ ]o.com ['aho' in gap]> on Thursday October 03, 2002 @09:46AM (#4380121)
    The world's funniest joke has just been discovered by a group of british scientists. The story is all over the web, here's the link [cnn.com] to the CNN article.
    • A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator, in a calm soothing voice, says: "Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: "OK, now what?"
    • Many European countries, such as France, Denmark and Belgium, displayed a penchant for off-beat surreal humour, while Americans and Canadians preferred jokes where there was a strong sense of superiority -- either because a character looks stupid or is made to look stupid by someone else.

      Americans: Laugh at everyone else
      Canadians: Laugh at ourselves
      Everyone but Americans: Laugh at Americans when they fail to upstage somebody else, ending up looking like asses

      No, this is not a troll. If you consider how many various Anti-American regard an American trying to upstage somebody else and ending up looking rather foolish...

      Did you hear the one about the slashdot post, the somewhat anti-American comment, and the flames that followed? - phorm
    • "When you run out, just put some water in the bottle - shake it up - more Tussin." -- Chris Rock

      ----
      Very nice custom computers... hand-crafted for your enjoyment. [crushpc.com]
      Please, check us out.

  • In his book, Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins went 95% of the way to prove this in over twenty five years ago. I remember reading this as a teen and feeling like the medical establishment would take at least 100 years to recognize the work. As it turns out they have done it in less than 25! A quick review [datadiwan.de] covers the basics.
  • "Laughter. Laughter is the best medicine. Unless you have diabetes - then Insulin. Insulin is the best medicine."

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