India, Sept. 27 -- We know that being near someone we love can make us feel good. A new study discovers why: it helps the body work better.

Published in Science Advances, research led by Prof. Shir Atzil and PhD student Monia Masalha from Hebrew University and Dr. Shai Fuchs from Sheba Medical Center, found that blood glucose after a meal is lower when eating in companionship, compared with when eating alone. After the same standardized carbohydrate meal, participants had smaller glucose spikes and quicker glucose recovery in the social condition.

The researchers call this principle Social Physiology: the human body regulate itself more efficiently in the presence of social partners.

"We used to think of the body as an isolated system ...