Do the Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter Have Scientific Support?

By Paul J. Rosch, M.D.
President, The American Institute of Stress
http://www.stress.org/
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry
New York Medical College
Originally published in Health and Stress, the newsletter (November 2005) of The American Institute of Stress

Part of the problem in obtaining proof that laughter promotes health or prolongs life is that it is sometimes viewed as being synonymous with humor and happiness. Laughter is not the same as humor or happiness.

Laughter is the physical and physiological response to humor that frequently results in a feeling of happiness.

The only link between all of these is that happy people and those with a good sense of humor are more apt to laugh at something that is funny than their crabby counterparts.

A prior article, titled Why Do Happy People and Optimists Live Longer?, reviewed the evidence that validates this view and discussed possible explanations for such relationships. Since then, this belief has been bolstered by other reports that also shed light on some mechanisms of action that may be responsible. Read more...

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Drink your sleep troubles away: tart cherry juice helps beat insomnia

Millions of Americans have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, resulting in excessive fatigue and even more serious consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): "Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression...it is also responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents."

Of course, Big Pharma has come up with a huge array of supposedly easy solutions for those who have a hard time getting enough shut-eye. All you have to do is pop a pill such as the heavily hyped Sonata, Rozerem, Lunesta or Silenor and you'll soon be snoozing away happily, the drug advertisements promise. Of course, you might decide that's not the healthiest idea if you check out the side effects which can include hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, loss of coordination, fever, "sleep driving" while not fully awake and memory problems. Read more...

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Solar panels to become future source of toxic e-waste

Scientists are calling upon solar panel manufacturers to set up a recycling infrastructure for their products now, before the supposedly green industry becomes the next major source of toxic e-waste.

Already electronics from televisions to cell phones and computers have become notorious for producing large quantities of toxic waste, including metals such as cadmium, selenium and silicon tetrachloride, and the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride.

"Electronic waste is emerging as one of the central challenges of our era," writes Mark Schapiro in the book Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power.

Researcher Dustin Mulvaney of the University of California-Berkeley recently conducted a analysis of all solar panels on the market, and found major toxics concerns with every variety. Read more...

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Purple foods ward off degenerative diseases

A new study published in the journal Archives of Toxicology explains how many degenerative diseases are caused by poorly-bound iron in the body that reacts with various bodily components to generate toxins. This iron is consumed through various foods but is not stable enough to stay put and provide health benefits. But iron chelators, which are especially present in purple foods and green tea, provide iron with the binding nutrients it needs to function properly as well as prevent various degenerative diseases. Read more...

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Exercise, vit E slows ageing

A combination of exercise and vitamin E may help slow the ageing process.
That power of that potent combination is detailed in a University of Florida (UF) study in the current issue of Biological Research for Nursing.

Slows the process of cell destruction
The study of 59 healthy men and women aged 60 to 75 found those who exercised regularly and took vitamin E supplements became healthier and greatly decreased their levels of a blood marker that signals destruction of certain cells.

This cell destruction is caused by unstable molecular fragments called free radicals. This process of cell destruction, called free radical-induced oxidative stress, contributes to ageing and disease.

Decrease in oxidative stress and blood pressure
The study also found people who didn't exercise, but took vitamin E, had large decreases in oxidative stress and blood pressure. Read more...

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Health Tip: If You Have Fructose Intolerance

(HealthDay News) -- Fructose is a natural sugar found in many foods, and it's added to many others. Some people have trouble digesting fructose -- a condition called fructose intolerance.

The American Gastroenterological Association suggests how to help manage fructose intolerance:
• Limit intake of dried fruits, fresh fruits and fruit juices.
• Limit high fructose corn syrup, found in sodas and other drinks.
• Keep a food diary, logging what you ate and any symptoms. This will help determine how much fructose you can safely handle.
• Limit drinking alcohol.
• Limit consumption of honey.
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