Episode 22: Laughter: Good Medicine?

Life Lines - The Podcast of The American Physiological Society

There is nothing like a good laugh, is there? It not only feels great to laugh, it can feel great to hear other people laugh. Beyond brightening the mood, can laughter provide tangible health benefits?Lee Berk of Loma Linda University in California has done a series of studies on laughter and its possible physiological effects. We will talk to him about his latest study, done over the course of a year with diabetic patients. (Begins at 3:50)In this month’s Buzz in Physiology (begins at 0:51), we look at studies that provide possible explanations for:

1. Why pregnant Andean give birth to larger babies at high altitude, compared to European women
2. How certain side effects in some medical procedures may trace back to a solvent found in plastic tubing

Total Time: 9:47