Ron Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling, and reveals some surprising results. Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live — and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being? Prepare to flex a few facial muscles as you learn more about this.

“Recent research has shown that 1 smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as 2,000 bars of chocolate. The same study found that one smile is as stimulating as receiving $25,000 in cash.”

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