Neurochemical Hormone Makes Pensioners more Generous, New Study Finds

Elderly women sit at a park in downtown Shanghai March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Elderly women sit at a park in downtown Shanghai March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
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Neurochemical Hormone Makes Pensioners more Generous, New Study Finds

Elderly women sit at a park in downtown Shanghai March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Elderly women sit at a park in downtown Shanghai March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

People who release more of the neurochemical oxytocin are kinder to others and tend to be more satisfied with their lives, said researchers from the US Claremont University in a new study published April 20, in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

They also discovered that oxytocin release increases with age, showing why people are more satisfied as they get older.

Seniors spend more time volunteering and donate a larger proportion of their income to charity than do younger people, so the researchers wanted to see if there was a neurochemical basis for these behaviors.

The researchers studied this hormone for years. In a past study, they found that watching a video about a little boy with cancer induces oxytocin release in the brain. In the new study, the team recruited more than 100 people ranging between the ages of 18 and 99. They were each shown the same video, and blood was taken before and after the video to measure the change in oxytocin.

Participants had the option to donate some of their earnings from the study to a childhood cancer charity, and this was used to measure their immediate prosocial behavior. We also collected data on their emotional states, to provide information on their overall satisfaction with life.

“People who released the most oxytocin in the experiment were not only more generous to charity, but also performed many other helping behaviors,” said senior author Paul Zak of Claremont’s Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, in a report.

“We also found that the release of oxytocin increased with age and was positively associated with life satisfaction,” he added.

Zak would like to repeat this study in a more ethnically and geographically diverse sample of people to see if the findings hold for different cultures.

“We would also like to conduct a longer-term measurement of neurophysiology using noninvasive wearable technologies to see what specific activities raise people's satisfaction with life,” he concluded.



Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
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Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)

Discover the hidden gem of the UK's coffee culture, where vibrant independent cafes outshine the chains, offering a unique blend of flavors and atmospheres.

“Fancy a brew?” “I'll put the kettle on then.” Hearing those words are no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK, The Daily Express newspaper reported on Monday.

It said grabbing a coffee either on the go or at a café is as part of British culture these days as it is in Italy.

But while every person has its favorite chain, be it Pret, Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, nothing beats finding a decent independent coffee shop one can call home especially when it can seem high streets are dominated by the same chains.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find an independent coffee shop?

A study by Reviva Coffee reveals the UK city that is the hidden gem when it comes to thriving coffee culture.

And it probably isn't where you'd expect. In fact this county is synonymous with tea. Yorkshire Tea, to be precise.

However the study discovered the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is in the Yorkshire city of Leeds. It has a staggering 584 coffee shops, of which 86.3% are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene with 560 shops, 85% of which are independents.

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol which has 347 coffee shops, 86.3% of which are independent.