Eating With Loved Ones May Support Better Blood Sugar Control, Study Finds - Video

Eating a meal with someone we feel close to may help the body regulate blood sugar more efficiently, according to new research published in Science Advances.

The study, led by researchers from the Hebrew University and Sheba Medical Center, investigated whether social companionship could influence the body’s response to food. Participants consumed the same standardised carbohydrate meal while either eating alone or in the presence of a social partner.

Researchers found that blood glucose levels rose less sharply and returned to baseline more quickly when participants ate in a social setting compared with eating alone. The findings suggest that the body's metabolic response to food may be influenced not only by what is consumed, but also by the social environment during a meal.

The researchers described this concept as “Social Physiology,” proposing that human physiological systems may regulate themselves more efficiently in the presence of social partners.

The effects were not limited to blood glucose. Across additional experiments, social proximity was associated with improved temperature regulation during cold exposure and reduced stress responses in both adults and infants. The benefits were observed even without physical touch and were not fully explained by changes in stress levels.

According to the researchers, these findings support the idea that social connection may have biological effects extending beyond emotional wellbeing. Close relationships could influence several basic physiological processes involved in maintaining the body’s internal balance.

However, the findings do not mean that eating with others can prevent or treat diabetes or replace established measures such as a balanced diet, physical activity and medical care.

The study nevertheless highlights a potentially overlooked aspect of health: social connection. Who people eat with may influence how their bodies respond to the same meal, suggesting that human physiology is partly shaped by our social surroundings.

REFERENCE: Monia Masalha, et al.; Social Physiology: Human Homeostasis Is More Efficient in Social Proximity; Science Advances; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aeg493