Certain Foods Can Dramatically Affect Your Mood
Nothing beats satisfying a craving for an ice cream sundae, a juicy steak, or a fresh salad. Food is at the center of most of our celebrations and family gatherings. It nourishes us and brings joy—and impacts our health for better and for worse. Sometimes eating a favorite dish can make you feel happy, but what's the science behind food affecting our mood?
The Complex Way Food Can Change Your Mood
It's not as simple as eating a certain type of food if you want to feel happy. The way food can change our mood can be complicated and dependent upon a variety of factors.
"There is research that indicates that what you eat can help improve your mood and promote overall well-being," said Rosemary Trout, professor of food science at Drexel University. But the relationship between food and mood is complex.
For the most part, enjoying an ice cream cone might make one happier than munching on carrots. On the other hand, there can also be delayed impacts to one's mood too, such as the potential sugar crash from that ice cream.
Short Term Happiness vs. Long-Term Health
"Sweet, fatty foods can make us feel full, satisfied, and happy in the very short term, but over weeks, months, and years, can have an overall deleterious effect on our health, which then impacts mood modulation over the long term," she said. And when it comes to mood, she added that you have to consider long-term effects, along with chemical and psychological effects.
"Hormones like ghrelin and leptin and neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and endorphins communicate with our brains to impact how we feel, and when to start or stop eating," said Trout.
What Happens When You Eat Sugar
Many of the foods that might make us happy, such as cookies, candy, or ice cream, contain lots of sugar. When we eat sugar, dopamine is released, which can make us feel good—at least for a little while.
Sugar is arguably addictive, too. Eating sugar all the time might release high levels of dopamine. But in the long term, it might not not make us feel quite as great because of the health problems associated with a diet that extraordinarily high in sugary treats.
Some foods, particularly chocolate, contain a compound called theobromine. While people associate theobromine with feeling good, Trout said that research doesn't show a significant impact unless you were to eat 560 mg of it. That's the equivalent of or about six medium-size milk chocolate bars because one bar contains about 90 mg of theobromine.
"On the other hand, chocolate gives people a good feeling when they consume it, and eating with friends or family, celebrating a holiday, anniversary, or just a fun get together over breakfast, lunch or dinner, can definitely put you in a good mood, so the psychological effects may have more impact than the presence of bioactive chemicals in the foods we eat," said Trout.
As with anything, it all comes down to balance. Eating a fruit and veggie-filled diet might make you feel good in the long term, but might not be quite as enjoyable in the moment. Consuming a variety of foods, both healthy and those that just make you feel good, might be best for you're well-being.
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