Have you ever experienced stress and quickly reached for a warm piece of cake or a box of mac and cheese from your childhood? Guilty.
People frequently opt for a high-calorie, sweet comfort meal when they are feeling anxious. Although it’s natural to think that the initial sugar rush of a satisfying bite could help to alleviate discomfort, recent findings indicate that stress may have a longer-term effect on how the brain wants particular meals.
Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research discovered in a study published in the journal Neuron on Thursday that the interaction of chronic stress and comfort food may cause the brain to continue craving comfort food (often higher in processing and calories), negating people’s feelings of fullness and increasing the likelihood of developing diabetes.
How a chronically stressed brain functions
According to Herbert Herzog, PhD, senior author of the study and visiting scientist at the Garvan Institute, “Our findings show stress can override a natural brain response that diminishes the pleasure gained from eating—meaning the brain is continuously rewarded to eat.”
Researchers looked at how various diets impacted the brain’s reaction to prolonged stress using mice as their model. The findings imply a connection between stress and how the body reacts to food. Compared to non-stressed mice on a high-fat diet, stressed animals on the same diet acquired twice as much weight.
We found that mice on a brief, high-fat diet had activity in a region of the brain called the lateral habenula, which is generally involved in turning off the brain’s reward response. According to Kenny Ip, PhD, an author of the Garvan study, “When mice were persistently stressed, this area of the brain stayed silent, allowing the reward signals to continue active and urge eating for pleasure while no longer responding to satiety regulation signals.
In addition, the scientists offered mice a choice of drinking water or water that had been chemically sweetened. The artificial sweetener was ingested by the stressed mice three times as much as by the control animals. An identical high-fat diet was consumed by both groups of mice.
“An energy boost from food is helpful in stressful conditions since it’s simple to expend a lot of energy and the sensation of satisfaction can help you relax. However, stress seems to alter the equation when experienced over an extended period of time, leading to long-term eating behaviours, according to Herzog in the news release.
Ways to avoid stress eating
If you work from home or at the office, try keeping nourishing snacks on hand to prevent the sugar crash and any potential health effects of overeating. When the day becomes busy, having healthy alternatives is essential. A food you enjoy that is high in protein and fibre will keep you feeling full while providing you with sustained energy.
Whole foods may keep your heart healthy, while vitamin D-rich meals can aid to enhance the brain.
Dena Champion, an RDN (registered dietitian nutritionist) with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre, “Be sure to have plenty of healthy, nutrient-dense options ready to go, [such as] fruit and vegetables in the fridge that are washed and chopped so they are easy to grab.”
Not having time to eat might sometimes be a sign of stress. Planning the time to eat can help prevent the need to grab something quickly that might not make you feel maintained over the long term, in addition to the mental health advantages of enjoying a meal with excellent people (not in a rush!).
Additionally, many nutritionists advise mindful eating, especially under stressful circumstances. When we are worried, it might be simple to eat a bag of chips rapidly without even tasting them. Slowing down and concentrating on the food you are now eating is the first step in mindful eating. While less about restriction, mindfulness may assist people in pausing and considering what will be best for their bodies before acting impulsively in high-stress situations.
“Ideally, you should sit down and enjoy your food, and focus on the tastes, smells, and feel of it, even if it’s just for five minutes,” advises Ginger Hultin, an RDN at Champagne Nutrition in Seattle.
