Humans are social beings. New research has found that eating with a close companion can change how the body regulates blood sugar after a meal.
The study found that when a person ate with a loved one, they had a smaller blood sugar response to their meal. Their blood sugar also returned to their pre-meal level faster than when they ate alone.
There is a concept called social physiology that suggests our bodies are impacted by being close to loved ones. Shir Atzil, the study's co-author and a professor at the Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, said that, according to the theory, “our most basic physiological processes, [our] bodily homeostasis, the process of just keeping the body up and running, is actually working more efficiently when we're in proximity with a close partner.”
“Blood sugar regulation is not just about what we eat, but who we eat with,” said Prof. Atzil. “Our relationships have an active biological role in our physical well-being.”
“While prior work has focused on the outcomes of social isolation, the present study identifies a direct, quantifiable benefit of social proximity in glucose metabolism,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Animal studies using social animals like flies, rodents, pigs and monkeys have found that isolation harms health. It can shorten life, harm the immune system and increase stress. Isolation studies of this nature aren’t performed in humans because of ethical concerns.
The people in the study had blood sugar concerns and were eating the same standardized meal with and without the company of their romantic partner. Their blood sugar was tested over 120 minutes after eating. The average change in blood sugar was 23 percent in both sexes. The researchers next want to perform the study but have people eat with their siblings and strangers instead of their partners.
The researchers ran a parallel experiment on temperature regulation. People were exposed to cold. When their significant other was present, their bodies were much more efficient at regulating temperature. That was especially true when they were touching. But even when they weren’t touching each other, their body temperature regulation was improved.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General spoke of the loneliness epidemic that plagues America. He warned that the toll loneliness takes on the body could worsen depression, dementia, heart disease and the risk of stroke. Reaching out to those you love and finding yourself a dining companion may aid your overall well-being and blood sugar.
