Do you really know? Why does smiling increase life expectancy?
Nov 26, 2025
Did you know that children smile around 400 times a day while adults average just 20? Intentional smiling can significantly improve your mood and reduce stress. It’s fascinating how smiling triggers the release of beneficial neurotransmitters and might even increase your lifespan! A study found a strong correlation between smile intensity in old baseball photos and longevity. Cultural influences and personal upbringing shape how much we smile, but we can train ourselves to smile more by focusing on the positives in daily life!
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Smile Sends Signals That Improve Health
- Smiling—even when forced—triggers mood and stress benefits by signaling the brain via facial muscles.
- These psychological effects translate into physical benefits like immune boost and pain reduction.
Baseball Photos Linked Smiles To Longevity
- Researchers rated 230 photographs of 1950s Major League Baseball players for smile intensity and later compared their ages at death.
- Full smilers lived longest (average 80), partial smilers 75, and non-smilers 72, showing a correlation with lifespan.
Culture Shapes How We Smile
- Smile frequency partly reflects upbringing and social imitation plus cultural attitudes toward smiling.
- In some cultures smiling boosts likability, while elsewhere it can imply lower competence or intelligence.