We’ve all heard the saying “Laughter is the best medicine,” but what does science say? It turns out that laughing isn’t just pleasant, it can be genuinely beneficial for your mind and body throughout your life.

Let’s start with stress. Chronic stress is everywhere in modern life, contributing to anxiety, fatigue and even immune system changes. One way researchers measure stress in the body is by looking at cortisol, a hormone released when we feel threatened or overloaded. Studies have found that people who engaged in spontaneous laughter—by watching humorous videos or participating in laughter sessions, for example—had significantly lower cortisol levels than those who did not laugh. This points to a real stress reduction at the hormonal level.

But the benefits don’t end with stress hormones. Laughter also plays well with our brain chemistry and mental health. Laughter therapy as a form of nondrug treatment may help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and stress. Laughter appears to engage pathways that influence neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin—chemicals involved in how we feel and think—and can even stimulate the release of endorphins, nature’s own “feel-good” molecules.

A good chuckle may even sharpen your mind. Middle-aged adults who watched a short comedy clip showed better focus on attention tasks and signs of reduced psychological stress than people who had watched a noncomedic video. The study’s results give us a hint that laughter might serve as a simple way to boost brain power.

And for young generations? Research shows that laughter or giggle-inducing activities, including clown therapy, can reduce anxiety and pain in children undergoing medical care. These playful interventions may help kids cope with stress and discomfort in ways that traditional therapies sometimes don’t.

The takeaway is that laughing seems to benefit mental wellbeing, physical stress responses and even cognitive focus in people of all ages. Whether it’s a cartoon, a shared joke with a friend or a belly laugh at a comedy show, letting yourself laugh might be a low-cost, high-reward addition to your health toolkit. Growing evidence suggests that laughter truly functions like a form of medicine—one that’s accessible, affordable and remarkably powerful. Maybe that old saying wasn’t just a metaphor after all.