Gossip may help women to live a happy and healthier life

Gossiping may be just what the doctor ordered because it increases progesterone, a hormone that reduces anxiety and stress and makes women happier.

Scientists at the University of Michigan, who carried out the study, said progesterone plays an important part in social bonding and also makes women more willing to help other people in trouble, even if it means risking their own lives in the process.

"Many of the hormones involved in bonding and helping behaviour lead to reductions in stress and anxiety," said Professor Stephanie Brown, who led the research. "Now we see that higher levels of progesterone may be part of the underlying basis of these effects."

Progesterone is a hormone produced by the ovaries in women. Among other things, it prepares the womb for pregnancy, fights infection and stops the over-production of oestrogen that could raise the risk of cancer.

Scientists already knew higher levels of progesterone increased a woman's desire to bond with others. But the latest research, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, is the first to show gossiping and chatting can actually stimulate its production.


/nydailynews.com/