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Power of Laughter and Optimistic Thinking
Psycho-neuro-immunology is a growing field which looks at the relationship between what we think and believe and how it affects the biochemistry of our brain and the physiology of our body. Research has now demonstrated that chronic negative thoughts depress the functioning of our immune system
You have heard "you are what you eat", now science shows us "you are what you think."
A famous Harvard study done in the seventies discovered receptors on our immune cells for neuropeptides. Neuropeptides are chemicals produced by the brain that vary with our emotions. The results of this study point to the simple fact that our immune system is connected to our mental talk.
How you think is how you feel!
A recent study about positive thinking as medicine was reported by Duke University in March, 2008. The study looked at 2,800 people with heart disease and found that the optimists with heart disease lived longer than the pessimists. The study suggested this was due to stress levels. The optimists had learned to manage the stress in their life in various ways. Most by not worrying incessantly, having a sense of humor, and interacting with others. It noted that the optimistic patients with heart disease felt grateful, hopeful, and prayed. The study also found that the optimists were more likely to follow their doctor's orders, which contributed to their success rate. The pessimists felt why bother if they were doomed anyway?
Laughter is the best medicine
The old saying that "laughter is the best medicine", definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart, says Michael Miller, M.D. Director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Miller's study showed for the first time that laughter is linked to healthy blood vessels.
The study compared the humor responses of 300 people. Half of the participants had either suffered a heart attack or undergone bypass surgery, while the other half did not have heart disease. The participants answered one questionnaire with multiple choice questions to find out how much or how little they laughed in certain situations and a second questionnaire to measure anger and hostility. The most significant finding was that the people with heart disease responded less humorously to everyday life situations. They laughed less even in positive situations and they also displayed more anger and hostility.
Dr. Miller says "we don't know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we do know that mental stress is associated with the impairment of the endothelium, the protective lining of the blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately a heart attack." Dr. Miller recommends incorporating laughter into our daily heart healthy activities, just like exercise. He suggests reading something humorous, watching a funny movie and also trying to find ways to take ourselves less seriously. Dr. Miller's recommendation for a healthy heart is to exercise, eat right, and laugh for 15 minutes a day.
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