Go on, laugh away, it's good for you. It may sound silly, but laughter is gaining momentum as a valued alternative therapy.

Studies into the benefits of laughter on health and healing are not new. Laughter therapy has been attracting significant attention since the late nineties and is now a growing field with pockets of legitimate academic backing. The basic concept is that laughing not only affects our mental wellbeing by lifting our spirits, but also causes changes in the body that can bring about a variety of positive results. Studies have shown that laughter may strengthen the immune system and alleviate pain while also helping a patient deal with the traumatic procedures and emotional distress that accompany serious illness.

Who better to support the laughing cure than a sitcom expert? As Director of Comedy Programs for ABC and Director of Programming for drama and comedy at CBS, Sherry Dunay Hilber witnessed studio audiences crack up for years. She always wondered if laughing affected her viewers even after they finished watching a show. To follow up on that curiosity she founded Rx Laughter, a “nonprofit organization that researches and implements healthcare projects that utilize the healing power of humor for the seriously ill patient.” Rx is supported by Margaret Stuber, M.D. and Lonnie Zeltzer, M.D., two UCLA pediatric cancer researchers and Comedy Central is the project's primary financial backer.

Initial Rx Laughter research focused on kids and teens, but the organization is now moving into studies on the affects of laughter on adults. In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, Rx will research the ways in which a sense of humor can improve quality of life for adult cancer patients.

Longing for some scheduled laughter? Check out the international list of laughing clubs.

(Photo: thebosh.com)