Gossiping Is Good For Health If Done The Right Way, Study Confirms

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Jan 19, 2017 05:05 AM EST

People looking for ways to talk about others or gossip, no need to feel guilty. At least, that's what the scientists would approve, as of now as a new study reveals gossiping is good for health. The latest study found that gossiping is really good for the health, irrespective of the personality the person has.

According to Daily Mail Online, this happens because the body releases the  level of oxytocin 'love' hormone that increases when a person shares gossip as compared to having a regular conversation.  A team of researchers from the University of Pavia, Italy conducted the research on 22 women. Oxytocin is the hormone that releases during lovemaking and thereby known as the 'cuddling chemical'. Several other love touches such as hugging a teddy bear or patting pets also release the hormone.

As per the lead researcher, Dr Natascia Brondino, she felt more connected and close to her female colleagues after they shared some gossip. This was the reason she wanted to study the effects of gossiping on the brain. She mentioned, "I started to wonder whether there was a biochemical cause for this feeling of closeness." The team found that women's brain released more oxytocin after gossiping compared to having an ordinary conversation.

Interestingly, as per The Telegraph, the researchers studied only females since oxytocin releases only when a person is sexually aroused. The team didn't want any of the females to get attracted to the opposite sex during the research and thereby conducted the research involving only women. According to Dr. Brondino, the hormone is released only after women have gossiped with one another. Along with this, the authors of the study also found that the result doesn't change due to one's personality.

Physiological characteristic such as stress, empathy, envy, autistic traits, etc, didn't affect the oxytocin release  during gossiping. So, they concluded whether people believed it or not, gossiping is definitely good for the brain.

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