I think people probably innately know this to be true, but a study has shown that laughing raises endorphin levels.
Time has a report on the study, led by Robin Dunbar at Oxford University. The study, conducted both in a laboratory setting and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, tested the person’s tolerance to pain through various methods, including a tightening blood pressure cuff, intense exercise, and dealing with intense cold. shows that a person’s tolerance to pain increases due to laughter. People who laughed more felt less pain later on.
The New York Times reported that Dunbar thinks “laughter may have been favored by evolution because it helped bring human groups together, the way other activities like dancing and singing do. Those activities also produce endorphins, he said, and physical activity is important in them as well. ‘Laughter is an early mechanism to bond social groups,’ he said. ‘Primates use it.'”
Studies before this one have shown that laughter increases a tolerance to pain, but this study gives us more of a reason as to why laughter is important to us. You can view the AOL video on it below.
What do you think about this study? Give us your opinions in the comments section below.
