Laughing with friends releases feel-good brain chemicals, which also relieve pain, new research
indicates.
Until now, scientists haven't proven that like exercise and other activities, laughing causes a release of so-called endorphins.
"Very little research has been done into why we laugh and what role it plays in society," study researcher Robin Dunbar, of the University of Oxford, said in a statement. "We think that it is the bonding effects of the endorphin rush that explain why laughter plays such an important role in our social lives."
