Blogpost 2: Give me something sweet, give me something salty. I need comfort!

I am very stressed, I need ice cream! I am deeply sad, I need chocolates! I am insanely happy, I need burger and fries! Food.. Food.. Food.. why is it every time people are having some extreme emotions, they look for something to eat? Something that's sweet or something that's salty? Why does fudge relieve stress and sadness, why does cheesy pizza adds up to your enthusiasm? I am really curious. I, as well crave for these whenever I'm emotional.

Well, I have found a health website, www.goaskalice.columbia.edu, and according to the article, "Why do people find fatty or sugary foods comforting?" by the diarist named Alice, our cravings for sweet and salty flavors can be influenced genetically or environmentally. She mentioned in that our ancestors didn't have knowledge about the scientific effects of sweet and salty food to our body, they only knew that sweet food gives energy and salty food gives essential minerals. However, we have these information that our body needs sodium and sugars.

Nevertheless, Alice mentioned that "Though humans have inherent preferences for sweet and salty flavors, comfort food choices vary because we are influenced by individual psychological factors that result from life experiences. Even though each of us is born into a unique food environment that is dependent on climate, economy, and culture, studies have shown that women in the United States generally prefer sweet, snack-type foods. This may be the result of pleasant feelings being associated with foods that were served as dessert, as the reward for eating dinner, or for happy occasions, such as parties or holidays. Men tend to prefer salty, meal-type foods, such as mashed potatoes. Meal-type foods might have positive connotations for men because they were lovingly prepared by their mothers and grandmothers. The identification of meal- over snack-type comfort food preferences increases in both genders as they age."

Meaning,  food became comforting because of our experience. Even though we have were born in different food environment, studies have shown that women are feeling relieved from stress by eating sweets which reminds them a happy memories such as holidays while salty food reminds men the food served by their mothers. Furthermore, there comfort food preference increases as time pass. This is associated with the article of Deborah Serani, Comfort Foods Improves Mood that was mentioned in my first blogspot.


The article Why Comfort Foods Works, by Malgret Aldrich tackled their research with the participants in the Belgian study , they found out that fatty acid  activates the brain region that regulate the emotions at the same time reduces the feeling of sadness. 

"Certain foods can have a particularly strong effect on emotions, according to researchers in Belgium. So what comfort food works best to bolster our moods? Mashed potatoes? Macaroni and cheese? Mainlined ice cream sundaes? Any of these can work, as long as they contain one key ingredient: fat," said Aldrich.

This quotation above simply means that every food that contains fat changes ones emotion. Therefore, not only sweet and salty food are comforting, as long as a food contains FAT, the sadness feeling will surpass. This articles cleared that cravings for comfort food are not only psychological but scientific.