Israeli Study Finds Smaller Blood Sugar Spikes With Loved Ones Nearby

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Sheba Medical Center report that participants who ate a standardized carbohydrate meal with a loved one nearby had smaller rises in blood glucose and returned toward baseline faster than when they ate alone. The study, led by Prof. Shir Atzil with doctoral researcher Monia Masalha and Dr. Shai Fuchs, also examined temperature regulation during cold exposure and stress responses in adults and infants. The researchers say closeness did not require touch, and lower stress alone did not explain the metabolic finding. These controlled experiments do not establish a treatment for diabetes.