"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place."

• Mark Twain

This question has been posed for quite some time and much research into the subject has been done. This research has covered thoughts on depression and how someone’s mind in the discipline of psychology reacts to humor. Studies have also been done on what happens to the body that is graced with humor both physically and chemically.

"Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain."

• Edward De Bono

The study of depression and humors affect on it has yielded some interesting results over time. It has shown that laughter has positive affects on helping to heal depression and other serious mental illnesses. Many articles and books have been written on the subject as well as forms of treatment designed around the core base of humor and laughter. The reason it seems is that laughter and humor cut through the stresses and pressures that cause many of these illnesses. It would seem that after many years of research and development in this area that there is certainly some benefit to it or at a minimum, it would seem that someone suffering from these types of illness would take note and look into it and find out if it might work for them.

"Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness."

• Joseph Addison

Many studies have been done on how the body physically and chemically reacts to humor and laughter as well. The results have had similar positive results. The muscles in the body react favorably to laughter in much the same way that they do with exercise. The act of laughing tightens muscle groups during the act of laughter and after laughter subsides these same muscles relax which helps to relieve mental and physical stress on the body and mind the same way that working out at the gym does for many people across the globe except that laughter would most likely be more fun. The chemical change in the body is said to increase the immune system. There is an increase in number and activity of cells that are responsible for attacking virus and tumor cells as well as increases in other things that help antibodies do their important work of breaking down infected and dysfunctional cells.

"Total absence of humor renders life impossible."

• Colette

Looking at the research and knowing how we personally feel after a good laugh, we should be able to come to the conclusion that humor and laughter do play an important roll in overall healthy living. Remember Laugh Loud and Laugh Often because none of us are getting out of life alive so enjoy the days you have because they truly are a gift.