There is now evidence that giving to others is beneficial to health, reduces stress and increases the feeling of happiness, reports the Daily Mail.
A new study published in Psychosomatic Medicine states that caring for friends and family triggers the reward-related regions of the brain.
Twenty young couples participated in the study where the male received a painful electric shock, while the females had magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, which measured changes in blood flow related to neural activity.
When the young women could help their friend, for example, hold his arm, there was strong activity in the area associated with reward. A similar reaction is observed with the chocolate, sex and money.
When they were unable to help their friend, there was no brain activity at that location.
Scientists believe this area of the brain plays a role in stress-reduction by inhibiting regions of the brain that process threats. They also noted that support-giving could be a basic human instinct, helping in the “survival of our species.”
Photo credit: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net