The science behind comfort food
We all have that one food that is our prime go-to comfort. If a test went badly, you just had a bad break-up, or are suffering from a lot of stress at work, there’s something about the comfort of consuming our favourite snack or meal that brings us out of our funk. It’s not just in movies and TV shows, which emphasize this sentiment through the classic ugly cry over a bucket full of ice cream right after a heartfelt break-up, but it happens in real life as well.
There’s not a movie theatre that I go to where popcorn is not an essential part of the experience, let alone the only reason why I might be there. Even going to the county fair means deep-fried Mars bars, funnel cakes, and blooming onions. Who can resist the smell of deep-fried anything? It’s virtually irresistible to deny oneself a good chow-down.
I can’t remember the last time I sat down to eat a bag of Doritos, where I contemplated all that was wrong in my life. However, I know that I felt great afterwards! It brought me back to when I was a child, when me and my cousins would sneak into our grandma’s kitchen after she went to sleep to snatch a bag of Doritos. So, if you’re anything like me, your latest munchies craving may have you standing at the pantry door in the middle of the night, but science has recently shown, it’s not just you. In reality, this phenomenon is a proven psychological fact.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…standing at the pantry door in the middle of the night…[/pullquote]
In a study done by Shira Gabriel, at the University of the South, findings express that attachment to food is actually linked to memories. He found that one’s positive experience with food could possibly stimulate cravings for it later on in life. Essentially, this means that comfort food reminds us of social relationships, and can help us feel less isolated while we consume these “comfort foods.” The stronger a person’s social relationships are, the more they associate the feeling of taste with reduction in social isolation and are apt to partake in the eating of such foods.
Obviously, there are differences for each person in regards to their favourite comfort foods. This stems from having social feasts, and gatherings with family and friends, where traditional meals or snacks are served. It does not even necessarily mean that a particular dish is super tasty, it all has to do with how a particular person associates their relationship to the food.
Even more interesting, smell is a big psychological principle that can be linked back to feelings of nostalgia. Memory, emotions, and the sense of smell are interrelated throughout the brain. Therefore, when a smell reminds us of home or being at the beach, its because these two factors are related. These smells make us feel happy and want to relive the experience over. This is where eating comfort foods come in, allowing us to feel that moment again, if only for a little while.
As much as I’d like to deny it, human beings are a species that love to belong. It’s a fundamental fact of being human that no one wants, or even likes, to be alone for too long. So, if eating a slice of apple pie makes me feel less isolated and more at peace when I’m thousands of miles away from home, then so be it.