Thieving, sharing… the line is often blurred.
Many of us would feel a fit of rage brewing should anyone try to snatch our beloved food away from us, unless it’s our baba of course. But apparently, it’s a big sign of affection within relationships with our partners too.
A study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, our happy hormone (oxytocin) is released when we share food.
Researchers studied a group of chimpanzees and their behaviour when it came to sharing their precious grub and they found some very interesting perks indeed. They explained;
“The link between food sharing and oxytocin found in chimpanzees may also be relevant for humans, where pro-social behaviour has often been linked to food sharing and provisioning.
“Long-lasting cooperative relationships have also been referred to as strong social bonds, which are characterised by high rates of cooperative behaviours, such as grooming and food sharing.
“Crucially, there is evidence that individuals who maintain such cooperative relationships have more offspring than those who do not.”
Well, it goes to show – sharing really is caring!
