A new study suggests that different types of generosity have different effects on the brain, and that one form, in particular, may reduce stress and anxiety.

Share on Pinterest New research shows that helping others can reduce activity in the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped brain structure (shown here).

It is known that people enjoy being generous.

The “warm glow” effect describes the pleasant sensation we get from helping others, and the theory around it suggests that the main reason behind all acts of generosity is just the fact that they make us feel good.

More recent research has delved deeper into how generosity affects different aspects of our well-being.

One such study showed that generosity does make us happier, and it confirmed this by highlighting the brain regions involved.

Does it matter who we help? Does it make a difference whether we choose to give money to those close to us or whether we give to charity? Can these different forms of generosity improve our health?

A new study — conducted by Tristen K. Inagaki, Ph.D., and Lauren P. Ross, both at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania — called the first form of support “targeted” and the latter “untargeted.”

Inagaki and Ross set out to investigate the effects that giving these two forms of support had on the brain, and they published their findings in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine.