What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

Anti-stress food, which is comforting when things don’t go your way, is actually comfort food. “Comfort food,” as called by the Anglo-Saxons, can help pass small disappointments. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (United States) on over 2 thousand women between the ages of 18 and 19.

The study was intended to assess whether comfort foods were able to influence the perception of stress caused by adverse life events and if this “buffering effect” was any different based on the psychological condition of individuals.

What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

Can comfort food help reduce stress?

The participants solved the test by reporting their adverse experiences, their perception of psychological stress and whether they tend to eat more in cases regarding negative emotions. The results showed that the perception of the psychological stress was attenuated in those who drove out anxiety, boredom and sadness with little bit of comfort food rather than in those who, in order to feel better, did not eat. However, comfort food was not at all effective in women suffering from depression.

The study, published in the journal Appetite, did however have various limitations “starting from the fact that the sample is not representative of the larger population and the age group is too limited” says Dr. Manuela Pastore, dietician at Humanitas hospital.

How do comfort foods act?

“The english term “comfort food” refers to foods that give a sense of pleasure to those who consume them, fulfilling an emotional need. They can be food or dishes that recall childhood experiences that were gratifying and enjoyable. Each individual has their own comfort food, but among the various possibilities that stand out include foods that increase good humor: sweet biscuits and cakes, chocolate cakes, ice cream, chocolate. The effect on mood is due to particular substances in the food, especially those containing carbohydrates, which act on the central nervous system through neurotransmitters. Among these, the main ones are serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.”

What are the risks for those who exceedingly resort to food for comfort?

“The gratification and comfort given by food can give positive effects, provided in the context of a healthy, active lifestyle. When comfort food is abused, issues may arise: foods that, by definition, comfort and pull up the morale are high-calorie foods, high in sugar and fat and that when consumed regularly, replace meals and in the absence of regular physical activity, can lead to weight gain. You must make sure that food does not become the only way to escape: the act of consolation can become a compulsive act and the effect would be disastrous. “

“It is wrong to use food as a source of consolation for negative changes in life events because it can trigger a dangerous dependency. The food consumed in excess in response to an emotional condition is a mechanism that is not to be stimulated or is best to be corrected, if present. Consoling at different times with sweets is allowed as long as it does not become a habit,” concludes Dr. Pastore.  

What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?
What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

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What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

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Chemical Link Found Between Stress and Cookie Cravings

Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on September 09, 2003

Sept. 9, 2003 -- Reaching for the cookie jar at the first sign of bad news may actually be healthy.

New research suggests that high-fat, high-carbohydrate comfort foods actually fight stress by stemming the tide of stress-related hormones that are released when people are acutely exposed to stress.

But there's a hitch.

Researchers say those same ingredients in your favorite comfort foods that work to reduce stress and decrease stress hormones also pile on the pounds around the waist and increase the risk of obesity when stress is chronic. The researchers say that over the long haul habitual use of these comfort foods may cause an increase in those same hormones, leading to increased amounts of abdominal fat -- a risk factor for heart disease.

In the study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers investigated the effects of comfort foods on stressed-out rats.

They found that when rats exposed to stress ate foods high in carbohydrates and fat, an unknown component in the foods acted like a brake on the cascade of stress-related hormones, such as the steroid cortisol, and hormones that are related to the "fight or flight" syndrome.

Stress sets off this syndrome and causes non-vital bodily functions to shut down. Meanwhile, adrenaline levels increase, heart rate quickens, and the immune system gets a boost.

Although this type of reaction is good if you're staring down a grizzly bear, researchers say chronic exposure to stress puts the body into overdrive, continuously stimulating these hormones, which can increase long-term health risks.

In addition, researchers say that their findings suggest that this constant exposure to stress can also trigger a potentially dangerous urge to indulge in rich comfort foods.

"There is no doubt that eating high fat and carbohydrate comfort foods cheers people up and may make them feel and function better," write researcher Mary F. Dallman, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues.

"However, habitual use of these foods, perhaps stimulated by abnormally elevated concentrations of cortisol as a consequence of underlying stressors, results in abdominal obesity," they write. Unfortunately, this type of obesity is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke."

Researchers say occasionally indulging in mom's macaroni and cheese or chocolate chip cookies is probably useful to relieve anxiety in the short-term. But habitually using comfort foods to combat chronic stress is likely to be bad for long-term health and could be contributing the current epidemic of obesity in the U.S.

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However, as with many habits when over-indulged, comfort eating can be bad for your health. A constant intake of sugary, fatty foods and low physical activity can cause overweight and obesity, which may lead to further problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 27 окт. 2007 г.


What are some of the dangers of comfort food?

The researchers say that over the long haul habitual use of these comfort foods may cause an increase in those same hormones, leading to increased amounts of abdominal fat -- a risk factor for heart disease.

How does comfort food affect your stress levels What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

Comfort foods are typically high in fat or sugar, energy-dense, and may have relatively low nutrition value. These foods may trigger an emotional response or a temporary feeling of stress relief. Some foods release an increased level of dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter that plays a role in how humans feel pleasure.

Does eating comfort food affect your stress levels?

A new study indicates that many humans might be “self-medicating” when faced with chronic stress, by eating more comfort foods containing sugar and fat. In the long term, the habit may dampen down the body's stress response, governed by the hormone cortisol, according to UCSF researchers.

How does comfort food affect your brain?

1 – Comfort foods trigger dopamine It gives us a feel-good sensation. So when you eat a comfort food that tastes good and is rewarding, you get a rush of dopamine. Your brain remembers this connection between your behaviour (the comfort food you ate) and the reward (the positive feeling).

What are some of the dangers of comfort food as it pertains to your level of physical fitness?

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