A study concluded that the feeling of tranquility when eating certain foods is produced by the direct relationship between the brain and the stomach.
Food can be comforting for some people. However, experts haven't been able to define why, for example, we turn to fatty or sweet foods when we feel sad. But a new study has concluded that hormones in our stomach communicate directly with the brain, triggering a pleasurable sensation, reports Health.com.
Much of the existing research on food and emotions is related to experience: taste, smell, texture, sensations, and even nutrients. Therefore, it was believed that memories associated with certain foods were the reason for "emotional eating."
However, the new study eliminated the subjective aspect; participants were fed through a gastric tube, the Journal of Clinical Investigation article stated.
The 12 volunteers—healthy and of normal weight—were given two types of food directly from their stomachs, without revealing the contents: a solution containing fatty acids and a control saline solution.
According to Health.com, the first solution was used because foods often eaten for comfort contain high levels of fat.
The researchers then induced feelings of sadness in the participants by playing classical music and showing them images of faces with distressed expressions, the website reported. A mood survey among the volunteers revealed that they perceived the classical music as sadder after receiving the saline solution than after receiving the fatty solution.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images captured during the experiment reflected these findings. The fatty solution reduced activity in parts of the brain associated with feelings of grief, or those that react to sad music, Health.com reported.
This is one of the first studies to show that the effect of food on mood is independent of pleasurable stimuli, explain experts consulted by the site.
Although the biological causes are unclear, the study's findings suggest that the stomach may influence the brain by releasing hormones, said one of the study's authors, Lukas Van Oudenhove, a physician and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Leuven in Belgium.
According to specialists interviewed by Health.com, the study shows that the emotional effect of eating helped humans survive when food was scarce and they struggled to find it. However, the usefulness of this process could be overpowered in an environment where food is available almost everywhere, which could be leading to obesity and eating disorders.
The negative stimuli experienced by the research participants are minimal, they explain, compared to the motivations that can drive a person to emotionally eat: divorce, job loss, or illness. Therefore, they advise limiting the search for comfort in food to avoid weight problems. .
The editorial accompanying the study raises the possibility that obese people may be more resistant to emotional cues from food than leaner people. Because of this, experts consulted by Health.com They noted that more work is needed to find ways to calm and comfort people. without the need to consume so many calories.
Remember that prevention is better than cure
