The Brain Benefits of Dad Jokes

Shared humor can strengthen family bonds...

Turns out those eye-roll-inducing dad jokes may be doing more than embarrassing the family — experts say they could actually give your brain a healthy workout.

Dad jokes rely heavily on puns and simple wordplay, which researchers say help the brain make connections between different meanings and strengthen verbal and creative thinking skills. Laughter also changes the body’s chemistry by lowering stress hormones like cortisol while boosting feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. Experts noted that shared humor can strengthen family bonds by increasing oxytocin and helping people regulate stress together.