This section reveals some of the common and intriguing myths in the world of medicine and discusses some of the exciting recent medical discoveries and how they affect your world.


4. IS LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINE?

Actually NO...medicine is really the best medicine for most things that ail you...no matter how funny a heart attack may seem, it makes absolutely no sense to sit back and laugh your way through a myocardial infarction. However, the good news is that laughter can make a difference in the way our body deals with infection and other body stresses with little chance of treatment side effects (unless you strain a muscle from guffawing too hard).

According to a study published in the March, 2001 edition of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, titled Modulation of Neuroimmune Parameters During the Eustress of Humour-Associated Mirthful Laughter (makes you chuckle just thinking of the pranks those scientists must have pulled), having a good chortle was beneficial in boosting the immune system.

In their research, the laughter specialists (actually called gelotologists for you trivial pursuit buffs), measured blood samples from 50 men before and after they watched a 1 hour comedy video. The results revealed an increase of plasma immunoglobulins, natural killer cell activity, total leukocytes and a whole bunch of other stuff that we need to fight off infection.

So, the next time somebody sneezes in your direction, try and laugh it off.