The Role of Laughter in Boosting Your Immune System
Verified By
KIMS-SUNSHINE
Specialist,
09 May, 2025
Old timers swear by a few well chosen quotes and one of them is ‘laughter is the best medicine for your body’. A person is normally judged by how calm and collected they are but it is time you learn that laughing is important too. Life goes by too quickly to not care about moments where you can laugh freely and while a good, belly busting laughter session can help you feel better, it also has lasting effects on your physiology. Let us learn more about why being goofy and having a sense of humour can benefit your immune system and your body in general.
How Laughter Boosts Immune System Function
Watching your favourite comedy or hanging out with kids can lead to a lot of laughing, though there are plenty of other circumstances which do not warrant too much seriousness. Laughing everyday is super advantageous and some of the benefits you need to know of, have been listed below
- A nice, belly aching laughter session means that your stress levels can decrease rapidly. Less stress means lesser cortisol in your body- which means more good vibes for your heart, brain and other organs.
- Laughter obviously helps improve your mood – your brain produces more endorphins- which are the feel good hormones in your body.
- They also help you relax your muscles and get rid of pent up tension in the body.
- Laughing every day is a good way to make sure you remain pain free, or at least reduce chronic body aches, as laughter can cause painkiller molecules to be naturally produced in the body.
- While laughing at the wrong time can be embarrassing, it means that you are coping better with bad news than others, who may not do so well when presented with a trying situation.
- People who are depressed, have anxiety or have mood related disorders benefit from laughing everyday as it can help them improve their mood by changing brain chemistry, if only for a short period of time. The endorphins released can feel like a mild form of runner’s high in most cases. The dopamine and serotonin can help you feel better and more cheerful than usual.
- Laughter helps improve immunity by revitalising the T cells in the body- your immunity is dependent on a bunch of cells called the B cells and T cells. Studies have shown that T cells begin to function better if you laugh a lot. The exact reason for why immunity improves is however not known.
- When you wheeze and laugh deeply, you breathe in more oxygen than usual- which means it is better for your heart and blood and all other organs. This means it is akin to getting some much needed exercise- like going for a walk. Plus, your heart rate increases rapidly, which means it is good for the cardiovascular system too. You also burn a few calories and this may help you in your weight loss goals (if you eat and exercise regularly).
- A study in Norway showed that laughing and having a decent sense of humour helped cancer patients deal better with depression and other issues associated with their punishing treatment regimens, as opposed to people who were more sombre or serious by nature.
- Laughter also helps you connect better with people around you and promotes emotional resilience in the long term. But, remember never to laugh at someone else’s expense because that is just hurtful and plain rude.
Laughter Yoga And Immune System Strengthening
Some studies have shown that laughing for 15 minutes or so is akin to doing yoga everyday, as it helps improve mood, reduce cortisol levels, promote endorphin, dopamine and serotonin levels and also helps improve blood circulation and oxygen intake in the body. Lower cortisol levels are beneficial for your immunity too, as high levels can suppress immune cells. Low levels of cortisol are bad for you too, which means you need the right amount of cortisol for your body to function at its peak.
Conclusion
The science behind laughter and immunity has been researched in every which way and though it is well known that laughter can help improve immunity, the exact mechanism in play is not well known. The benefits of laughing for 15-20 minutes per day have been likened to the benefits derived from moderate amounts of yoga, everyday. There is an increase in heart rate, improvement in blood flow, muscle relaxation and reduced stress response- all of which contribute to a feeling of wellness and improved mood.
