Engaging in “commensality,” the ancient practice of sharing meals with other people, can significantly reduce the risk of depression, protect against dementia, increase enjoyment of food, and potentially extend life expectancy, according to a series of international scientific studies.
Despite these profound benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, researchers warn that the growing isolation of the modern world is making communal dining increasingly rare.
Predicting depression
A major study led by Xinyi Wang and colleagues at Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in China examined 9,361 women aged 60 and older.
The team discovered that the number of people gathered around the table at mealtimes was a clear predictor of an individual’s risk of developing depression. This link persisted even after researchers controlled for other major factors influencing wellbeing, such as general health, household wealth, and whether the person lived alone.
The findings point to a unique, independent connection between shared dining and mental health.
This is supported by separate research from Tokyo, which found that adults aged between 65 and 74 who lived with family members but ate their meals in isolation had five times the odds of developing depressive symptoms compared to those who regularly ate in company.
As critical as income and employment
According to World Happiness Report, an annual analysis of wellbeing based on Gallup opinion polling, further underscores the impact of communal eating.
In 2024, sponsored by Japanese food manufacturer Ajinomoto, Gallup surveyed approximately 150,000 individuals globally about their weekly eating habits, asking how many days in the past week they had eaten lunch or dinner with someone they knew.
The results showed an astonishingly consistent link: the more meals people shared, the higher their scores on standard measures of emotional wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, a professor of economics and behavioural science at the University of Oxford who co-authored a chapter on the topic in the report, noted that meal frequency was as predictive of life satisfaction as a person’s employment status or relative income.
Effect of connection
De Neve suggests that there is a distinct, deep-rooted cultural and biological significance to eating together.
He notes that the English word “companion” derives from the Latin roots cum and pānis, meaning “with bread,” while the Chinese term for the same concept, “huǒ bàn” (伙伴), originates from characters describing a military unit sharing a single kitchen stove.
Biologically, sharing a table may trigger a chemical reward system. Robin Dunbar, a biological anthropologist at the University of Oxford, explains that eating naturally activates the body’s endorphin system, the feel-good chemicals responsible for natural highs, which strengthens social bonding during shared meals.
Dining with others appears to amplify the sensory pleasure of food. A series of studies conducted by Erica Boothby at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that people found chocolate to be considerably tastier when eating it in the company of another person.
Slowing brain ageing
Beyond emotional wellbeing, commensality may actively shield the brain from the effects of ageing. In 2025, Japanese researchers found that individuals who regularly eat alone have reduced brain volume in key regions responsible for cognitive function, specifically the medial temporal lobe and the hippocampus.
While some of these physical differences were linked to poorer nutritional choices common among solo diners, diet alone could not account for the entire volume loss, indicating that reduced social connection plays a direct, detrimental role in long-term brain health.
The authors speculated that the enjoyment and social support derived from shared meals help soothe stress, a known risk factor for neural decline.
Additionally, the conversations that occur during meals provide vital mental stimulation that keeps brains active into old age. Although the study participants possessed normal cognitive function at the time, researchers warned that this neural decline could eventually predispose individuals to dementia.
Preserving food culture
Dining practices and the frequency of shared meals vary widely across nations. On average, people in Japan share fewer than four meals with others each week, whereas the average is seven to eight in the United Kingdom and the United States, and approaches nine in Italy.
Italy has long been celebrated for its sociable food culture. When Unesco awarded Italian cuisine the status of an Intangible Cultural Heritage, it explicitly highlighted the crucial role meals play in connecting families and communities at home, in schools, and during social ceremonies or festivals.
To safeguard these traditions against the pressures of modern life, organisations like the Slow Food Movement, founded in Italy 50 years ago, have long advocated for centring daily routines around shared meals.
Barbara Nappini, the president of Slow Food Italia, described the practice as “a philosophy in its own right,” noting that cooking together and sharing the preparation of food “requires care and patience”.
Technological and social solutions
For those facing isolation, new solutions are bridging the gap. In 2019, Italian tech entrepreneur Paolo Bavaro launched Tablo, an app designed to connect lonely diners. The platform has been used more than 300,000 times, with the average user being around 30 years old.
“At that age, it’s harder to make friends,” Bavaro explained. “You work a lot, many of your friends have families, you want to socialise but you don’t know who to go out with”.
He emphasised that the app is not a dating tool, but rather a way to expand social circles.
Such initiatives mirror psychological research into social integration.
De Neve pointed to an experiment by Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki, who established “platonic dates” to help shy students meet at a campus coffee shop, which successfully enhanced their social confidence and yielded long-lasting benefits.
The research suggests that by simply breaking bread with others, individuals can build lasting friendships while simultaneously safeguarding their long-term health and cognitive wellbeing.
