Laughter Helps Immunity?
In this study, diabetics were shown comic videos and laughed together with hospital staff for 1 day. On the other day, they participated in an inpatient diabetes educational program. Blood samples were collected before and after watching comedies or again after lecture time, and changes in gene expression were comprehensively analyzed by microarray technique.
Of the 41,000 genes analyzed, the laughter increased function of (up-regulated) 39 genes. Fourteen of these genes were found to be related to natural killer cell activity. Low natural killer function is an important part of the immune dysfunction seen in CFS.
References
Biomedical Research, Dec 2008;28(6):281-5. PMID: 18202517, Hayashi T, Tsujii S, Iburi T, Tamanaha T, Yamagami K, Ishibashi R, Hori M, Sakamoto S, Ishii H, Murakami K. Bio-Laboratory, Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan.
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
