The Science of Comfort Food

“Much of the joy we get from our favorite dishes stems from the memories we associate with them.

Taste and nutritional content affect how foods make us feel, but much of the happiness we derive from our favorite foods stems from the memories they spark for us and the people we’re with while we enjoy them.

Our brains reward us more for some foods than for others.

Because food is essential for our survival, our brains reward us for eating anything at all by releasing opioid-based chemicals that make us feel good, said Paul Breslin, a nutritional scientist.

But as anyone who’s ever eaten apple pie knows, sweets can make us feel especially nice. Carbohydrates increase brain levels of serotonin, a chemical that enhances mood.

Past and present company shape the foods we find comforting.

Certain foods are especially emotionally satisfying for reasons that have little to do with their taste or nutritional content, though. After all, different cultures have different comfort foods.

(Perhaps unsurprisingly, research has found that we crave comfort foods when we feel lonely.) We are also drawn to foods we were given early in life by people who cared for us, which can help explain our collective love for chicken noodle soup, which many parents feed their sick children to make them feel better.

These associations can go the other way, too. Sometimes you might feel sad when you eat foods that remind you of loved ones you miss, Dr. Breslin said. We may also avoid foods that we associate with bad experiences.”

Read the full article on The New York Times

✨Takeaway: Our favorite foods bring us a lot of joy because of the memories we attach with them. Additionally, the setting in which we eat meals influences how much we appreciate them. Even the scent of food can trigger vivid memories. The hippocampus, which manages memory, and a brain region that processes emotions are both closely connected to the area of the brain that senses smell.

✨Reflection: What’s your favorite dessert/sweet comfort food?

#Comfort #Food #Science #Soothing #Memories