HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Laughter is the Best Medicine

We are all familiar with the saying, "laughter is the best medicine." And this motto may ring true when it comes to tackling age-related memory loss. A new study from Loma Linda University in California finds that humor may reduce brain damage caused by the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn, improves memory. The research team, led by Dr. Gurinder Singh Bains, recently presented their findings at the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego. Since it is well known that laughter can be a stress reliever, the research team wanted to determine whether humor may reduce brain damage caused by cortisol. They found that watching funny videos reduced cortisol levels and boosted memory performance.