A group of medical researchers has discovered that promiscuous males are prone to diabetes and less able to handle stress. In a rather odd study published today in biology journal Disease Models and Mechanisms, scientists showed a correlation between a tendency to sleep around and a vulnerability to the disease that affects blood sugar levels. Does that mean getting married and settling down will cure your diabetes? Probably not. The researchers, based at UC Irvine, studied the incidence of diabetes among two groups of mice: A species know for its promiscuous behavior, and a species known for settling down with one mate. According to the study:
Males of a calmer, more monogamous species had a higher level of stress hormones and a superior ability to regulate blood sugar, in comparison to males of a less calm, less monogamous species, or females of either species . . . Since previous studies of non-human primates by other research groups demonstrates a link between stress hormone levels and monogamy, the UC Irvine group propose that superior stress tolerance and blood sugar regulation is related to monogamy in these mice.
What the researchers wanted to investigate was the way social behaviors, as well as genetics, can impact disease. It's still unclear why there might be a connection between monogamy and an ability to handle stress and disease. Maybe learning to deal with not getting all the sex you want makes you better at stress management? Source: Disease Models and Mechanisms