Serotonin: The Secret to Conquer Emotional Eating?

In a movie "Sunday Bloody Sunday", made many years ago, there is a scene of a young woman, dumped by her boyfriend, crying and eating a pan of oven hot brownies. She is so desperate to eat them that she burns her fingers scooping them out of the pan and as she eats, her tears fall onto the uneaten portion.

Although people who never need to eat when upset might find her activities bizarre, the rest of us who have reached for food when stressed will understand her behavior perfectly. We know, from our own experience, that soon she will feel a little better. The boyfriend may not come back but she will begin to cope and as the movie goes on, that is exactly what she does.

It is interesting that in this movie scene and in countless novels dealing with people eating when dealing with stress, the foods consumed are always carbohydrates: a plate of pasta, bowl of mashed potatoes, a pizza or bread and jelly or a handful of cereal. The carbohydrates may contain a lot of fat. Ice cream is a popular choice as is chocolate. But whether the food is high or low in fat, its main ingredient is starch, sugar or a combination. 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 ice cream.

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, ice cream, 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 is a comfort in itself.

By way of Passion for Health

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