The point I want to make is about humor and laughter. There’s always been stuff written about laughter and immune health…how laughing can improve immune performance.  A little or a lot of holiday cheer…the non-alcoholic kind…could be just the thing to help keep your immune system in good working order, right?  Well, maybe. Or maybe not.

I found a very good research summary on PubMed from Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It puts a collection of studies in some perspective. The overriding conclusion (surprise, surprise) is that larger, more controlled studies are needed before any definitive pronouncements about laughter, humor and immune health can be made.

But the article does point out the problem with variables and definitions when trying characterize humor or laughter. For example, it points out that people who consider themselves possessing a significant  ”sense of humor”  exhibited no more or less immune cell activity than others who did not. And, of course, what defines a “sense of humor?”  It also pointed to increased NK (natural killer) cell activity among people who laugh and laugh hard, as opposed to those who smile or kind of chuckle. Does that imply that the physical component of laughing can have as much or more impact on immune response than anything else? And what about longevity of the act of laughing? Does one need to sustain laughter regularly over the course of weeks or months for laughter to be effective?  Who knows? And don’t even start in about laughter in combination with other lifestyle aspects such as exercise, diet, sleep, etc. that we all know can impact immune health as well. That would seem to be a maze of variables and definitions that are nearly impossible to define, combine and measure.

Oh well. If laughter is not necessarily always the best medicine, it sure can’t hurt.

The first was a minor league AAA baseball game. But this was a special night. The Famous San Diego Chicken was on hand to entertain the crowd. The chicken did his thing between innings…harassing the umpire and opposing players…the shtick we’ve seen him do many times over the years. And it was still funny. All in all, a pleasant night, even though we could not have cared less who one the game.

The next event that weekend was an outdoor rock fest featuring multiple bands, including Bachman Turner, .38 Special, Jackyl, Firehouse, Ace Frehly from Kiss and others. Because it had rained, the whole field where the crowd was standing and sitting was a mud pit. The sound, of course, was ear- splitting loud, including low end drums and base that about punched a hole in your torso. And, some dude tried to mess with my chair and umbrella when I had left my seat for a few moments. I caught up to him in the act, and had a few words. That got my tension level going.  So I left before Bachman Turner took the stage.

All in all, I’d say the ball game is the winner. Laughing, relaxation and a care-free night, vs. tension, ear-splitting decibels, fear of theft and miserable conditions wins the health battle every time.

Balanced immune response loves the Chicken, and shuns the crowded mayhem. At least for this dude.

Remember, humor and laughter can influence healthy immune response.