There's no doubt that food can very easily turn into one of our best friends on those days when we're feeling a little less than stellar. But that pint of Ben and Jerry's in your freezer that you crack open whenever you feel the need to eat your feelings might actually be creating a more negative effect on your emotions.
A new study released by the Journal of Health Psychology sought to figure out if the intake of foods that are high in fatty acids actually have an effect on human emotions. After surveying close to 5,000 people (1,699 men and 3,293 women) and asking them specific questions about their eating habits, researchers found that those individuals who ate more foods with trans fat ended up having less control over their emotions.
According to the study, people with higher trans fat intake were less aware of their emotions, less able to read emotions clearly and less able to regulate their emotions. The study also found that those who stick to healthier diets tended to be happier and were better able to regulate their emotions.
The study was authored by a San Diego State University research team. Megan Holt, a dietician at the university, claimed that she created the experiment because she was curious about the relationship between trans fatty acids and mental health.
"We need to consider that poor nutrition also has implications in terms of psychological wellness," Holt told Yahoo Health.
Though the study did prove that there is a correlation between negative emotions and eating foods that are high in trans fats, we should also go ahead and acknowledge the fact that there are some days when we're feeling pretty awful which results in us using greasy, fattening foods as a small pick-me-up. The study is telling us that our emotions are negatively affected by the food that we eat but we also eat those foods because of our negative emotions. It's a bit of a Catch-22.
But, don't mind us. We're not trying to kill your vibe or anything. You don't necessarily have to turn a cookie away out of fear that you'll turn into a sea of complex emotions but you could consider cutting your trans fat intake just a little bit.