The Science of Happiness: How can the Food we eat affect our Emotions

"Have you ever wondered why does eating our favorite food makes us feel better?"

Yesterday, I had a reporting class in our engineering management course and got very frustrated because I have forgotten parts of my discussion. After the presentation, I asked my friends to go out and eat something to de-stress. And what's better than PIZZA!

As soon as I saw the waiter coming with the food we ordered, my mouth was already watering and I couldn't get my eyes off of it! When I finished the first slice, it was like my mouth just had an orgasm. The thrill of anticipation then finally being able to have some of it was just overwhelming. I noticed my mood changing, drastically and my happy meter peaked to its maximum level!

(Below is a picture of me happily devouring a slice of pizza. lol)

And I wondered. Why did my mood changed? How and when did it happened? What did the pizza do with my brain? Why was my brain telling me to eat more? What's going on?

I got super curious that I started looking answers in the internet. And here's what I found:

According to Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD, who has written several books, including Food & Mood and Eat Your Way to Happiness, "What we’re putting into our bodies has a profound, holistic impact on our emotions."

“There has been a growing body of evidence, both animal studies and human studies, to support that we really are what we eat, physically and mentally,” she said. “And, that makes sense considering that the only place where the brain gets its building blocks is from the diet.”

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Dr. Laura Pawlak points out in her book ,Hungry Brain, that our brains have been hardwired to focus on survival (it originated to our ancient hunter-gatherer era) with the “pleasure-seeking circuitry” of dopamine-producing neurons constantly primed for activation by any sign of food (smell, sight, memory).

"Dopamine helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. It also regulates movement and emotional responses, and enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them."

Our brain's pleasure center contains happy hormones that are released when triggered.

Studies have shown that certain foods that are rich in sugar, salt, or fat are powerful natural reward-drivers more than their healthy counterparts such as vegetables and fruits.

David A. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, and former head of the FDA, said that:

"Easily digestible, calorie-rich foods are engineered to make you want to eat more by triggering a powerful reward conditioning stimulus."

Leaving us wanting for more slices of Pizza, making us addicted. Scientists have found that there are chemical (and brain activity) similarities between overeating and other addictive behaviors (doing drugs, gambling, drinking).

So what was it that made me Happy while eating a slice of Pizza?

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All of the emotions we experience, positive or negative, are the result of series of chemical reactions taking place inside our brain within split seconds. Meet your Happy Chemicals! They are responsible for making us feel good.

Serotonin is sometimes called the happiness hormone. Serotonin regulates the mood, prevents depression and makes you feel happy.
Endorphin can make you feel good, reduce your anxiety and your sensitivity to pain.
Dopamine helps you to feel mentally alert. The lack of it might cause lack of attention, lack of concentration and bad moods.
The love hormone, Oxytocin, is associated with boosting trust and empathy and reducing anxiety and stress.

But WAIT! Slow down on your calorie and fat intake. Pizza might be a pleasure food, but it does not mean it's good for your health.

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Pizza calories and nutrition can vary considerably, depending on the toppings, the crust and the size of the pizza. If it is loaded with meat and cheese, it will not only add calories, but will also increase your intake of saturated fat. So if you are watching your health, Take it Slow. As you know, food tastes better when shared with loved ones.

Thank you for reading, Steemians! I hope you have learned something. Follow me @shairanada for more interesting posts. Go on, have a pizza delivered in your doorstep or better yet, go out and eat with your friends/family! I promise it will make you feel better. ;)

References:

https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/06/science-of-food-and-happiness
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
https://www.2knowmyself.com/Hormones_that_make_you_happy
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20101114/oxytocin-more-than-mere-love-hormone#1
https://www.verywell.com/pizza-pointers-3495882