It’s impossible to watch Old School or Anchorman and not find yourself in a good mood by the flick’s final scene. But the benefits of watching a comedy don’t end there. A small study out of California’s Loma Linda University found that laughter is an extremely potent medicine.
When the researchers had diabetic patients watch 30 minutes worth of a comedy each day, the number of stress hormones within their bodies significantly declined throughout the year-long study. What’s more, their HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) jumped by 26 percent. That’s compared to 3 percent in those diabetic patients who didn’t partake in the half-hour of humor. A similar difference was found for blood markers of inflammation—a 66-percent decrease, compared to a 26-percent drop.
“The best clinicians understand that there is an intrinsic physiological intervention brought about by positive emotions such as mirthful laughter, optimism and hope,” says study author Dr. Lee Berk, M.D. “Lifestyle choices have a significant impact on health and disease and these are choices which we and the patient can exercise control relative to prevention and treatment.”
The bottom line: Like you needed another excuse to catch up on your favorite Ferrell. Try tackling the American Film Institute’s 100 funniest films.