The science of comfort food

By Rechell McDonald
Have you ever wondered why some foods just make you feel better? We all have that one particular food that we turn to when we are feeling a little blue whether it’s chocolate, ice cream, apple pie, or fresh baked bread. But why? Is it psychological or is there something to it? Science says it’s actually chemical.
At the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, scientists presented a study that analyzed 1,700 substances responsible for the flavours in most common foods. Valproic acid, a widely-used mood-stabilizing drug, has a particular chemical make-up, a make-up which is mirrored in many of the foods that make us feel better. Some of these foods include chocolate, berries, and foods with Omega 3’s. The discovery that some foods impact our mood, which was made a while back, encouraged the search for other mood-modulators in foods, resulting in this study. The team of scientists involved in this research took the 1,700 substances and began trying to match them on a molecular level to the chemical composition of well-known antidepressants.
Although the study is ongoing, and has thus only revealed the ties between certain food’s chemistry and Valproic acid, once the team completes the comparative research they plan to begin testing how the identified foods affect subjects. This interesting study could prove to have a big impact on the medical world and on the food industry. It won’t be surprising if this study culminates in a change to the nutritional food guides and what begins appearing more frequently on the shelves of your grocery store.