Want to live a long and happy life? Try trusting others, study says

Euronews

a day ago

Trust in your neighbours, institutions, and society writ large may be a key ingredient to a long and happy life, new research suggests.
A study in the journal Psychological Bulletin found that people who are generally more trusting tend to report greater well-being, which measures people's mental health and how content they are with their lives – and is in turn tied to longevity and health.
'Our findings show that trust plays a key role in how happy and satisfied people feel, across all ages, especially so for children, adolescents, and older adults,' Catrin Finkenauer, one of the study's authors and a professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, said in a statement.
For the new study, Finkenauer's team looked at three types of trust: interpersonal trust between people who know each other, trust in institutions like the government and banks, and social trust, or the belief that most people are 'honest, reliable, and benevolent'.
They found that people who were more trusting – regardless of the type of trust – tended to report greater well-being. However, the link was stronger among children and teenagers than among adults up through middle age.
Trust and well-being also appear to reinforce each other over time, according to the study, a meta-analysis that compiled data from more than 2.5 million people worldwide.
'Whether it's trust in others, in society, or in institutions, all types matter for well-being,' Finkenauer said.
It's not clear whether well-being directly causes health outcomes, but it has been linked to longer lifespans – four to 10 extra years, one analysis from the UK's Ministry of Health found – as well as better mental health and a lower risk of death from heart disease and cancer.
Notably, not everyone appears to benefit from trust's boost to well-being.
Last year, another study in 38 European countries found that racial and ethnic minorities report lower levels of trust, which can make them more unhappy and dissatisfied with life.
But that same report found that building trust among minorities helps to boost their well-being, leading researchers to conclude that promoting trust can 'narrow the well-being gap' among people of different backgrounds.
'Trust can't be forced – it has to be earned,' Finkenauer said, adding that families, schools, and governments all bear responsibility for creating supportive, trusting environments.
'When we build trust, we also support mental health and stronger communities,' she said.
Food waste is a critical global problem, costing billions annually and contributing significantly to environmental damage. In the European Union alone, over 59 million tonnes of food are discarded every year – a staggering 132 kilograms per person – while millions suffer from foodborne illnesses. Addressing these challenges, three young Spanish entrepreneurs, Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez, and Luis Chimeno, have developed smart biodegradable labels that detect bacterial growth on food and signal freshness in real time. This breakthrough has earned them a place among the top 10 selected innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025.
Their company, Oscillum, embeds intelligent biosensors into a biodegradable polymer matrix that reacts to bacterial compounds released as food spoils, triggering a visible colour change. 'We place the biosensor in contact with the food, and with a simple colour change it indicates whether it is safe to eat or should be thrown away,' Granado explains.
This innovation gives consumers and retailers accurate, real-time information about food safety, unlike traditional expiry dates or time-temperature indicators that can be unreliable. By directly detecting bacterial activity, Oscillum's labels help reduce unnecessary food waste and lower the risk of food poisoning.
The idea originated from a memorable experience in their university days at Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche. Chimeno recalls: 'The idea started because Pablo had a piece of meat in the fridge that had a very strange look and smell. He decided to eat it against our advice. Nothing happened, and that's when the spark came. We thought: how many people would have thrown this away?' This moment inspired the team to design a solution that provides clear, easy-to-understand information about the product's freshness, helping consumers make safer decisions.
Oscillum's smart labels work across a variety of foods, from fresh produce to meat and fish, and even packaged goods. The labels also indicate ripeness on fruits and vegetables, preventing premature disposal of perfectly edible products. For retailers, the technology offers a way to optimize stock management and cut losses, while consumers gain confidence in the food they buy.
Since officially launching in 2019, Oscillum has grown through partnerships, accelerator programmes, and funding from innovation centres. The company is now expanding into active packaging solutions that interact with food to extend shelf life. Early intellectual property protection has been crucial to securing their place in the competitive food-tech sector.
Their work advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Responsible Consumption, and Climate Action. 'We understand sustainability as a balance between environmental, economic and social factors,' says Sosa Domínguez, underlining the trio's holistic approach. Chimeno highlights the particular potential benefits for vulnerable communities, explaining that the 'technology can reduce food waste and its environmental impact while also preventing food poisoning, especially in regions with limited food safety infrastructure.'
Oscillum's smart labels offer a practical, scalable response to the global challenge of food waste and safety – offering a tool that benefits both consumers and the planet.