Why Do We Reach For Sweets Under Stress?
Author: Alexander Bruni
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
According to psychologists, the compensation of certain emotions with food should be minimized to prevent possible eating disorders or overweight.
Are you looking for comfort in moments of stress, tension, sadness or fatigue, by eating mostly sweet or fatty foods? New research is looking for an answer to why we are attracted to junk food in certain emotional states .
According to scientists, stomach hormones communicate directly with our brain, regardless of the sensations we have to a particular food.
The study included 12 healthy volunteers with normal weight.
It was found that saturated fat "prevent" negative emotions. Study participants are more optimistic after listening to sad music and watching sad faces if their stomachs are full of saturated fat. This suggests that the so-called emotional nutrition works, both psychologically and biologically , scientists say.
The biological mechanism is not yet completely clear, but research shows that the stomach affects the brain by releasing hormones, explains Dr. Lucas Van Oldenhof of the University of Leuven, Belgium, and one of the authors.
"Given the highly calming effect of food on a biological level, we need to work even harder to find ways to comfort and calm ourselves without calorie intake," said Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and author of "50 ways to calm down without food." In the long run, this is important for improving self-esteem and protecting our overall health .
According to psychologists, the compensation of certain emotions with food should be reduced as much as possible to prevent possible eating disorders or overweight .
Therapy with a psychologist or other type of treatment is a way for people to cope with strong emotions, in this way they will improve their eating habits, explains expert Susan Albers.
We can improve our mood, for example, with an interesting activity - listening to music, dancing, painting, walking in the park with friends, renewing an old hobby or something else that will bring excitement and variety.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation .
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