In the movie Sunday Bloody Sunday which came out  many years ago,  a young woman is deserted  by her boyfriend . Her first response is to make brownies.  She stands over the kitchen counter, crying as she scoops the hot fudgy confection into her mouth. As she eats, we see her tears dripping into the pan.

Although her behavior might seem bizarre to people who lose their appetite when stressed, for the rest of us, she is doing what comes naturally: eating her way through stress. Her boyfriend may or may not return but within several minutes, the brownies will allow her to start to cope (or get revenge).

Whenever people in novels or movies are shown eating after a stressful situation, the foods they consume are carbohydrates. The type of carb can be sweet like brownies or starchy, like pizza or potatoes or bread. People in emotional extremis do not reach for Brussels sprouts  , tofu, cottage cheese or egg white omelets. Nor do they throw a steak on a grill or open a can of tuna fish.

When comfort is needed, comfort foods are eaten. And comfort foods mean carbohydrates. The reason for this goes beyond the fact that the taste of chocolate is probably more appealing than the taste of cottage cheese or Brussels sprouts. Taste really is irrelevant although it might play a role in deciding to eat dark rather than milk chocolate or choosing a flavor of icecream.  The fundamental reason carbohydrates have earned the designation ‘comfort foods’ is that they really do comfort. If Brussels sprouts or a grilled steak had the same impact on our mood as carbs, then no doubt we would see the heroine of the movie digging into a plate of cooked sprouts or lighting up the grill when boyfriend leaves the apartment.

Carbohydrates comfort because when they are eaten the brain makes serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical in our brain that restores our emotional well-being.  Stress of any kind takes its toll on serotonin and leaves us feeling sad, anxious, angry, overwhelmed and even extremely tired. When serotonin is increased, these feelings diminish and may go away entirely . They are replaced by feelings of calmness, ability to cope, energy and focus. Serotonin won’t make the cause of the stress go away but allows us to deal with it.

Of course the problem of eating one’s way through  missing boyfriends, audits from the IRS, teenage children, exams, and unexpected visitors is  consuming too many calories. There is no  pill to take to increase serotonin .( Antidepressants simply make the serotonin in the brain more active, they do not increase the amount).  And the foods traditionally associated with diets such as vegetables, fruit and lean protein do not allow any serotonin to be made.  Fortunately carbohydrates can both comfort and fit into a diet plan.  .Brownies, icecream ,chocolate , cookies, pizza and other carbohydrates with high fat contents have to be avoided because  they do contain too many calories.  But any carbohydrate that has only tiny amounts of fat or none at all will serve to make new serotonin . A sweet potato for example, or a bowl of rice , cup of oatmeal or cinnamon toast and jam are excellent comfort foods . Because they contain little or no fat  they  are rapidly digested and  serotonin is made quickly.  Not only will this new serotonin bring about a feeling of tranquility, it will also shut off any additional eating. And that in a comfort in itself.

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