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Dads’ humor can reduce stress hormones by 36% and improve brain health

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“My neighbor installed my roof for free. He said it was in the house.”

While that dad joke may raise a sour mood among family members, experts say a silly pun can change the body’s internal chemistry and lower stress, which can provide real health benefits.

Dad jokes are classified differently in terms of their structure, content and humorous devices, according to a study published in PsyArXiv, an open-access site for pre-psychological research.

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In analyzing thousands of examples, psychologists Paul J. Silvia (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Meriel I. Burnett (University of Massachusetts Amherst) found that father’s humor is strongly based on texts and wordplay.

While the most advanced jokes require context, a joke about the neighbor’s roof may only require someone to understand the double meaning of a single phrase.

Experts say that pun can change body chemistry and lower stress. (Stock)

This predictable structure makes dad jokes more accessible, creating opportunities for jokes to be shared across generations, the researchers say.

Laughter changes internal chemicals by reducing stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, while simultaneously increasing happiness chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.

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A 2023 review in PLOS One found that a single laughing session can reduce cortisol levels by more than 36%. This decrease in stress lights up regions such as the prefrontal cortex, helping the brain process complex ideas.

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Studies have linked pun comprehension to speaking ability, creative thinking and the ability to connect different meanings.

A father putting his arm out to hug his daughter and wife at the airport

Sharing laughter can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. (Stock)

“When we see children laughing, we see the brain light up in action: learning, connecting and growing,” Jacqueline Harding, PhD, a pediatric expert at Middlesex University in London, told Fox News Digital.

In her book, “The Brain That Loves to Laugh,” Harding says that happiness is a complex biological condition that helps children cope with stress and build strong, positive minds.

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“Hope and humor, it seems, are not only the spice of life, but the basis of a recipe for healthy development.”

The physical benefit goes directly to the family. Sharing laughter can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. It also promotes what psychologists call co-regulation, experts say.

A father sitting with his daughter enjoying time at home

Sharing laughter can boost oxytocin, a hormone known to deepen emotional bonds between parents and children. (Stock)

This process allows people to manage their stress by drawing on the shared biological store of positive, safe experiences.

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“Spontaneous, fun play is an antidote to stress, as it increases endorphin levels released by the brain,” says Harding.

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“Creative, joyful play does its most prominent work at the molecular level, especially at a time when the human brain is most receptive.”

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