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PAGE 68                         www.OverTheHumpSaver.com                                   April 2026


           IS LAUGHTER GOOD FOR                                                  FLASH BACK

           YOUR HEALTH?                                                          TRIVIA


                                                                                 By Mick Harper
                                                                                 Questions:


                                                                                 1.  Who  originally  wrote  and  first
                                                                                    recorded  “Little  Bitty  Pretty
                                                                                    One”?
                                                                                 2.  Who released “I Had Too Much
                                                                                    to Dream Last Night”?
                                                                                 3.  Which artist originally wrote and
                                                                                    released “Eli’s Coming”?
                                                                                 4.  Name the group that released
                                                                                    “All Right Now.”
                                                                                 5.  Name the song that contains
                                                                                    this lyric: “I hear your voice, it’s
                                                                                    like an angel sighing, I have no
                                                                                    choice, I hear your voice, feels
           The adage “laughter is the best   natural painkillers, laughter can      like flying.”
           medicine” certainly suggests that   ease pain. The U.S. Department of
           a good laugh is good for one’s    Veteran’s Affairs says patients in
           health. Although laughter might not   clinical trials who watched comedies   Answers:
           mend a broken wrist or eradicate   reported a higher pain tolerance
           every disease, UCLA Health notes a   and required less medication than   1.  Singer-songwriter Bobby Day,
           number of surprising physiological   those who did not watch such        in 1957. Over the years, several
           and mental benefits of a good laugh.  programming.                       others released covers of the
           Here are a handful of ways laughter                                      song, including Clyde McPhatter,
           can impact the mind and body.     Ease anxiety and depression:           The Dave Clark 5, Huey Lewis
                                             Laughter can stimulate the release     and the News, and The Doobie
           Reduces stress: Laughter          of dopamine and serotonin.             Brothers. It was also used in
           significantly lowers levels of cortisol   Researchers at Harvard University   Stephen King’s “Christine” horror
           and epinephrine. The Physiological   say that laughter stimulates the    film in 1983.
           Society says one study found that   reward centers of the brain. This   2.  The psychedelic rock band The
           even a single laughter session can   makes a person feel happy in the    Electric Prunes, in 1966. The
           reduce cortisol levels by nearly 37   moment and helps build long-term   group also released “Get Me to
           percent.                          emotional resilience as well.          the World on Time.”
                                                                                 3.  Laura Nyro, in 1968. But it was
           Boosts immunity: Laughing         Perspective change: It is hard to feel   Three Dog Night’s 1969 cover
           can increase the production of    amused and anxious at the same         that charted.
           antibodies and activates Natural   time. So laughing can provide a    4.  Free, in 1970.
           Killer cells, which help the body   change of attitude and perspective.   5.  “Like A Prayer,” by Madonna in
           fight off viruses and even some   It also can provide a necessary        1989. Madonna’s hit topped the
           tumor cells, indicates Providia Family  emotional reset.                 charts around the globe, in the
           Medicine.                                                                U.S., Canada, Spain, the U.K.,
                                             Laughing may not cure everything       Australia and more. Rolling Stone
           Pain relief: By triggering the release   that ails a person, but it certainly can   added it to their list of “The 500
           of endorphins, which are the body’s   provide many health benefits.      Greatest Songs of All Time.”
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