Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 12

1 HR
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CBDM APPROVED
NUTRITION CONNECTION
THE BRAIN SCIENCE
BEHIND COMFORT
FOODS
BY KRISTIN KLINEFELTER, MS, RDN, LDN
NANCY SMILED THROUGH HER TEARS as she opened
the shiny emerald green box. Upon her first smell of this
thoughtful Christmas present from her niece, she was
overcome with emotion. How could the fresh scent and
pleasing sight of these holiday mints bring her instantly back
to her childhood and overwhelm her with nostalgia?
Nancy was experiencing the strong emotions that we often
associate with " comfort foods. " The smell, taste, and sight
of certain foods can bring us right back to the cozy, pleasant
feelings of the past. For Nancy, the beautifully wrapped and
delicious-smelling mints brought her back to her childhood
when her mother brought them home from the department
store where she worked.
Food can bring strong emotions and pleasure. How can we
mimic these pleasant experiences for our clients? Can simply
discussing comfort foods with clients provide a meaningful
experience and be a part of our nutrition services and
therapy? You may also be curious about the brain science
surrounding this phenomenon. First, I invite you to ponder
the question, What is one food or beverage that creates positive
emotions for you?
Now that you have this food in mind, think about what
your brain and body are experiencing. Are you filled with
comfortable emotions? Do you notice tension or stress fading
away? Before you talk yourself into this being a placebo effect,
let's explore what might be chemically happening in your
body.
THE BRAIN AND COMFORT FOODS
When we perceive that we are safe and our needs are
being met (by eating comfort food, for example), our brain
chemicals begin to change. When we eat our comfort food,
our hypothalamus releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter.
Think of neurotransmitters as chemical messengers
between neurons, telling our body to do something.
Dopamine tells our body that it can expect a reward.
Dopamine can impact our body by improving digestion,
blood flow, memory, focus, mood, sleep, and stress
management skills. Simply thinking about our comfort
food can trigger a dopamine release and begin a cycle of
motivation and reward. Other hormones that you may be
familiar with that work together with dopamine include
serotonin and adrenaline. Some animal studies suggest
that these hormones that reduce stressful emotions may be
released when eating our comfort foods, therefore leading
to a habitual desire to eat them (Jacques et al., 2019).
Now that we understand the positive effects that dopamine
can create by eating comfort foods, we should distinguish
that there are certain foods that can reduce stress
symptoms, but not through the same mechanism. Many
'functional foods' provide antioxidants, anti-inflammatory
effects, and specific nutrient needs, resulting in improved
mental health. Functional foods can be defined as foods
that offer health benefits beyond nutritional value. Berries,
nuts, fatty-fish, whole grains, and dark leafy greens are
12 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024
