Finally, science confirms what we all already knew in our hearts—videos of cats unrolling (and then re-rolling) toilet paper are good for our brain health!
In fact, anything that makes us laugh is good for our brains. According to new research from Loma Linda University in Southern California, a big fit of laughter (you know, the kind where you think you might pee your pants?) gives your brain a great workout.
For the study, researchers measured brain activity in participants while they watched a laughter-inducing 20-minute video. And from it, they pinpointed the optimal laugh for the brain—30-40 hertz frequency, which matches brain wave frequencies seen in people who reach a “true state of meditation.”
“This allows for the subjective feeling states of being able to think more clearly and have more integrative thoughts,” explains study co-author Lee Berk. “This is of great value to individuals who need or want to revisit, reorganize, or rearrange various aspects of their lives or experiences, to make them feel whole or more focused.”
And that’s not all. The participants who watched the funny video also scored higher on memory tests than those who didn’t watch it, and they also had a significant decrease in cortisol, a stress hormone that can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
And on that note, have you seen the video of the cat in a shark costume on a Roomba? (You’re welcome!)
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