It has been a year since my dear friend and neighbor, Phyllis Diller, passed away. She died quietly at home just after her ninety-fifth birthday. And, as she would have turned ninety-six this summer, I find myself thinking of her, missing her and remembering the lessons she taught me.
As most of you know, Phyllis was a comedienne. A consummate comedienne. The comedienne who showed every other woman in the business how to be a comedienne. Living next door to her for years, I was showered with her attention, her motherly concern and her humor. We shared secrets, we shared recipes and we shared laughter. And, surprisingly, it was often Phyllis’ aging issues and my spotty health history that gave birth to much of that laughter.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer (my third cancer by the way) I will never forget the non-stop jokes Phyllis kept telling me, the off-color stories she shared with me, and the dirty limericks she recited to me. She got me laughing and she kept me laughing. And, I will never forget one day when she turned to me and said, “I will never get cancer because I laugh every day.”
And you know what? She never did get cancer. “Just a fluke,” you say? Well, let’s talk about that for a moment. Did you know that numerous studies have reported beneficial effects from the simple act of laughing? Did you know that “humor therapy” is an accepted form of cancer treatment in many major medical facilities? Did you know that a sense of humor appears to provide a powerful antidote to the immunosuppressive effects of stress? “Why,” you ask? Let’s discuss.
In simple terms, the body produces different substances that either help or hinder its immune system and overall health. Among those that help are lgA, lgM, lgG and Complement 3. In order, lgA is an immunoglobulin that helps protect the body from upper respiratory infections. lgM are the “first responder” antibodies that arrive on the scene when a body part is attacked by disease or infection. lgG antibodies are responsible for long-term cellular immunity. Complement 3 is the “cavalry” that shows up and helps all antibodies pierce through infected cells in order to destroy them. And for years, laughter has been found to increase the levels of all these substances in the human body.
In one study, for example, a group of men who watched a funny video reduced their levels of the stress hormone cortisol by thirty-nine percent. Their levels of adrenaline or epinephrine fell by seventy percent. Yet, their levels of growth hormone and the feel-good hormone endorphin increased respectively by eighty-seven percent and twenty-seven percent. In fact, just anticipating a funny or happy situation or event can result in similar physical responses!
Now, with respect to the substances responsible for cellular strength and immunity, watching a one hour comedy video has been found to increase 1) the number of B cells, 2) the number and activation of T cells, 3) the number of helper T cells (those susceptible to the AIDS virus), 4) the ratio of Helper/Suppressor T cells, 5) the number and activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells (those that seek and destroy cancer tumor cells), and 6) the levels of Gamma Interferon, which helps activate the NK cells. Whew!! In essence, it appears that humor and laughter help the immune system to “turn on” and do its job more effectively.
So, the next time someone comes up to you and says, “Have you heard the one about. . .” Don’t walk away. Don’t turn your back. Instead, stay, listen and laugh. Laugh out loud. Laugh until your belly hurts. Laugh until you cry. For laughter may, indeed, be the best medicine. Before and after the fact. I learned that from a pro. And so it is with great gratitude, dear Phyllis, that I wish you a Happy Birthday! For, wherever you are, I know you’ve got them laughing.
Sources: “Looking Forward to a Laugh,” Maggie Fox, Reuters, Nov. 6, 2002
Humor Your Tumor, Paul McGhee, PhD., July 1999
1) Berk LS et al: Neuroendocrine and stress hormone changes during mirthful laughter. Am J Med Sci 298(6):390-6, 1989. Retrieved July 14, 2013 from http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/laughter-is-medicine.html
2) University of Maryland Medical Center (2005, March 19). University of Maryland School of Medicine Study Shows Laughter Helps Blood Vessels Function Better. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050309111333.htm ; Ziegler J: Immune system may benefit from the ability to laugh. J Natl Cancer Inst 87:342-343, 1995. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine
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