Comfort-eating can worsen mood

There are times when a bar of chocolate seems like the only solution for a bad mood. But new research suggests that eating junk food may actually make your mood worse. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US claim that women who are concerned about their diet and image experience a worsening of their mood after eating something unhealthy. Dr Kristin Heron, a research associate at the university’s Survey Research Centre, said that people who were already in a bad mood experienced a significantly worse mood after eating junk food. On the other hand, people who were in a good mood did not experience any change in mood either before or after eating something unhealthy. The researchers gathered data from participants in real-life situations. They gave handheld computers to 131 women who had unhealthy eating habits and concerns about their body shape and weight, but who did not have eating disorders. Several times during the day, the devices would prompt the participants to answer questions about their mood and eating behaviours. “What we know about mood and eating behaviours comes primarily from studies with eating disorder patients or from laboratory studies,” said Dr Heron. “We were interested in studying women in their everyday lives to see whether mood changed before or after they engaged in unhealthy eating and weight control behaviours.” The researchers believe that the study could lead to better treatments for women experiencing eating problems. “This study is unique because it evaluates moods and eating behaviours as they occur in people's daily lives, which can provide a more accurate picture of the relationship between emotions and eating,” said co-author Joshua Smyth, professor of biobehavioural health. This research backs up previous studies which have also suggested that comfort foods can be bad for mental wellbeing. For example, sugary foods can make people feel worse, said Helen Bond of the British Dietetic Association. She explained: ‘We tend to crave sugary and fatty foods for a quick mood fix, but the sugar crash that follows could make you feel worse.’ “Our mood is determined by a steady supply of energy from blood glucose to the brains.” However, previous research has also shown that chocolate can have a positive effect upon people’s mood. Researchers have revealed that some flavours found in commonly eaten comfort foods are chemically similar to mood enhancing drugs - and could have a similar effect. The team, at the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, found natural ingredients bearing what they describe as 'a striking chemical similarity' to valproic acid, a widely used prescription mood-stabilising drug. Consequently, it is believed that these foods, which include chocolate and some teas, can actually improve the mood.