Oxytocin may explain why life satisfaction grows as we age. Most hormones drop with age. But a new study found older adults release more oxytocin, the hormone tied to bonding and giving. That rise helps explain why people grow calmer, kinder, and more content later in life.
Summary: It is no secret that people change as they age. Most become more generous and give more to charity. Early studies tied oxytocin release to better social behavior and more giving. But most hormone levels drop with age. A new study shows oxytocin is different. Older adults release more of it, not less. That helps explain why people feel more content as they age.
We know that people grow calmer as they age. They start to see things in a new way. They are more likely to be happy with life and to help others.
Many changes of aging drive this shift. One of the biggest is a change in the levels of hormones and brain chemicals. That, in turn, changes behavior.
We know young adults and older people act differently. But finding the cause is hard. After all, behavior changes for many reasons.
Researchers want to know which hormone changes make people more content with age. That could lead to treatments for some mental health problems in older adults. It could also give us a deeper look at human behavior.
Which hormone makes us more satisfied as we age?
The answer is a hormone called oxytocin. Researchers have long known it shapes how we act. It plays a vital role in social behavior, and it makes us kinder. It also helps hold back bad feelings. But how oxytocin works is still unclear.
This study ran in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience . It is the first to show how levels of this hormone change with age. It also shows that these changes are tied to how behavior shifts as we age.
The study found that oxytocin levels rise with age. That stands out, because most hormone levels drop with age. Sex hormones, for example, fall steadily as we get older.
The study also found that people who release more oxytocin tend to be more generous. They are more likely to help others. Oxytocin levels were also tied to how often a person takes part in religious activities and to gratitude.
Researchers recruited 100 people aged 18 to 99. They showed them a video of a young boy with cancer. Then they drew blood to measure the change in oxytocin.
Participants were also asked to give some of their earnings to the Childhood Cancer Study. This was on purpose. It let researchers link each person’s feelings to their oxytocin level.
People with higher oxytocin release gave more to charity. They were also more eager to help others. This was the first study to show a direct link between giving and oxytocin release.
The study also found that older adults tend to release more oxytocin. That explains why they give more to charity. It also explains their stronger faith in traditions and different philosophies. Higher oxytocin release also raises empathy and gratitude.
This study adds to what we already knew about oxytocin and behavior. It also lays the ground for future studies. The next step is better-designed research with more people from more backgrounds.
We also need to learn the long-term effects of higher oxytocin release.
Still, this study suggests hormone therapy may play a key role in treating behavior disorders. It may even help with some mental health problems.
Frequently asked questions
Does oxytocin increase or decrease with age?
It goes up. Most hormone levels fall as we get older. Sex hormones, for example, drop steadily. A study in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience found that oxytocin is the exception. Older adults release more of it. That rise helps explain why people feel more content with life as they age. It also helps explain why they act more generous and grateful.
What does oxytocin do to your behavior?
Oxytocin plays a vital role in social behavior. It makes people kinder and helps hold back bad feelings. In the study, people with higher oxytocin release were more generous. They were more likely to help others and showed more empathy and gratitude. Oxytocin levels were also tied to how much a person takes part in religious activities.
Why do people become more generous as they get older?
Older adults release more oxytocin, and more oxytocin goes with more giving. In the study, people who released more oxytocin gave more of their earnings to charity. They were also more eager to help others. It was the first study to show a direct link between giving and oxytocin release. That helps explain why older people give to charity more often.
How did researchers measure oxytocin in this study?
They recruited 100 people aged 18 to 99. Each person watched a video of a young boy with cancer. Blood was drawn afterward to measure the change in oxytocin. Then people were invited to give some of their earnings to the Childhood Cancer Study. That let researchers link each person’s feelings and oxytocin release to real giving.
Related reading
1 in 10 Older US Adults Has Dementia · Adolescent Substance Abuse Disorder · Steroids and Brain Gray and White Matter Changes · Drug Addiction Treatment, St. Louis