Jakarta –
Many people pamper themselves with delicious food. This is not something strange or wrong because it actually provides benefits. This is what the experts say.
Almost everyone can easily answer the question, “What is your favorite food?”. Because humans were created to get pleasure from food. In fact, for many people, eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Enjoying food not only makes mealtimes enjoyable, but also provides significant health benefits. That way, you can support digestive health, improve a positive relationship with food, and prevent eating disorders.
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In some cases, getting enough pleasure from eating well, is as important as the nutrition of the food chosen. So what is the psychological explanation regarding the decision to eat to seek pleasure?
The psychology behind eating for pleasure
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For years, researchers have studied the science behind eating for pleasure. Their findings were interesting.
Physiologically, the pleasure a person gets from food occurs in the mouth and brain. “Pleasure of any kind, including the pleasure of food, causes the release of dopamine in the brain,” explains nutritionist Aleta Storch.
Dopamine is often referred to as the feel-good hormone because it activates reward pathways in the brain, which helps increase a person’s happiness, calmness, motivation and focus.
A 2011 study suggests that obese people may have impaired dopamine sensitivity, causing them to overeat to get enough pleasure from food.
However, when the chemicals in the brain work well, a person’s enjoyment of eating can also produce physical benefits.
Storch explains, “When we enjoy the food we eat and stimulate dopamine, we actually digest and metabolize it more effectively.”
Eating for pleasure can also encourage healthier eating patterns. Nutritionist Sarah Gold Anzlovar explains, “There is a belief that healthy foods are bland or don’t taste good, but that’s not true. When we eat foods we like, feelings of satisfaction increase, which can ultimately improve the quality of our diet and reduce the likelihood of overeating .”
Food becomes emotional ‘nutrition’
Food is not only physical fuel, but also emotional ‘nutrition’. For example, when you eat at a family gathering or reunion with old friends.
When people enjoy eating together, it can contribute to increasing feelings of happiness. This was proven in a 2015 study.
Eating well can also be a source of emotional comfort. For example, this is reflected when you crave a bowl of warm chicken soup made by your mother when you are not feeling well.
“Sometimes food provides a sense of comfort at the end of a challenging day, which many people associate as negative emotional eating,” Anzlovar said. “However, when we allow ourselves to connect with food and enjoy it, there are many benefits,” he added.
Eating well for pleasure is different from emotional eating, read the next page.
