New Research Shows Laughter Reduces Cortisol Levels
According to a new study published in PLOS One, laughter may indeed be the best medicine. Researchers have discovered that spontaneous laughter can significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to positive effects for overall health.
When the body responds to stress, whether physical or psychological, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated, releasing cortisol. However, studies suggest that spontaneous laughter can reduce levels of cortisol. Genuine laughter is intuitive, with brain pathways specific to laughter even developing before brain pathways for speech. Laughter and humor have been found to be beneficial for health, increasing pain tolerance and overall well-being.
To confirm these findings, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant literature. They focused on randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiments, and selected four of each, published from 1989 to 2021, with a total of 315 participants.
The results showed an overall significant reduction in cortisol levels induced by laughter, compared to the control group. Even a single laughter session lasting 9 to 60 minutes induced a significant reduction in cortisol levels, with no impact of the duration of laughter on cortisol levels.
The authors concluded that genuine laughter holds positive effects for overall health, and supported other research demonstrating the benefits of laughter and reduced cortisol.
Laughter has been found to have a cardioprotective effect by reducing the chances of developing coronary heart disease and has potentially positive metabolic effects, such as increased stimulation of hair follicles leading to hair growth.
However, differences in the methods of inducing laughter and variations in the timing of cortisol level measurements among the studies are limitations to be noted.
The study, titled “Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels,” was authored by Caroline Kaercher Kramer and Cristiane Bauermann Leitao. You can read more about the findings in PLOS One journal.
