During times of stress, many people start eating fatty or sugary foods. But little is understood about how those foods affect your emotions. According to a new study, hormones in your stomach may communicate directly with your brain.
While most research on food and emotion has looked at the taste, smell, and texture of the food, in this experiment, the researchers removed subjective experience by feeding volunteers through an unmarked stomach tube. Nonetheless, saturated fat appeared to fend off negative emotions.
According to the study, as reported by Green Med Info:
“These findings increase our understanding of the interplay among emotions, hunger, food intake, and meal-induced sensations in health, which may have important implications for a wide range of disorders, including obesity, eating disorders, and depression.”