Laughter is the Best Medicine Essay Example

'Laughter is the best medicine' People may say. You may think to yourself that saying is silly, but, what if the people who say that are right? Now laughing may not help with a cut off leg, but it sure does have it's benefits. For example, It can improve your mood, the quality of life, and even your physical health.

Obviously, laughing naturally improves your mood, even if it's by a little bit. That's because when we laugh, it's decreasing cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone. Laughing can also release a feel good hormone know as endorphins. That's why, when you laugh while angry or sad, you feel much better than you were before." ...Cortisol is our primary stress hormone that circulates throughout the body when you’re feeling stressed. Laughter can decrease cortisol levels by increasing your intake of oxygen and stimulating circulation throughout the body. Endorphins are those “feel-good” chemicals produced by your brain that help boost happiness levels. Laughing increases the number of endorphins released in your body, fighting off stress and promoting a positive mood " (University of St. Augustine 1) This evidence further shows my claim that laughing is good for your mood.

But that's not all, laughter is also known for decreasing levels of stress and can be used as a coping mechanism for people with depression, anxiety, or just someone who normally experiences stress in their lives. Overall, improving our daily lives" Often, people use humor as a way to cope with difficult or uncomfortable situations. This allows them to readjust their view and better manage the stressors they face. In a study about coping, researchers found that people who find humor in their daily lives can handle stress better than those who do not. Furthermore, stressed people who have a good sense of humor experience lower levels of depression and anxiety than those whose humor aren’t as defined." ( Eruo 2)  This is a good article that helps my point since it is backed up by researchers.

This may be a slight surprise, but laughter can improve your physical health as well. Studies show laughing boasts your immune system, protects the heart, and even help you live longer. " Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease... Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems... A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer." ( Robinson, Smith, and Seagal  2) From what this piece of evidence is saying, it's been backed up by scientists that laughing, can in fact, improve your physical health, even helping you live longer.

As you now know, laughter can improve your mood, the quality of life, and even your physical health. Laughing can release feel good hormones, relieve stress in our daily lives, and improve physical health. So, laughter can be the best medicine sometimes.