How does food affect our mood?
Consuming food can be a pleasurable thing – we enjoy feasting on the mix of tastes and textures and it stops us feeling hungry too. Of course, food also gives us energy and the vitamins and minerals that our body needs. It's no wonder we spend so much time preparing and eating food. But what many of us don't consider is how our emotions are affected by what we put into our bellies.
For me, it's the unhealthy foods that put a smile on my face – chocolate, cakes and ice cream – well, I do have a sweet tooth! It might seem obvious that food that's bad for our waistline, usually makes us happy, at least in the short term.
Most of us get this feeling when we use food as a quick pick-me-up. But dieticians tell us that eating bad food long term, not only makes us put on weight but can lead to other health conditions such as diabetes, and it can also affect our mental state and bring on depression.
The link between our mind and food has been looked at by scientists. They've recently found that it's the bacteria in our gut that affects our mood. It's thought we have 39 trillion of these simple, small organisms in our body.
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada and University College Cork in Ireland, have found that certain 'good' bacteria help reduce anxiety in mice. And researchers at Kyushu University also found that germs help reduce stress and anxiety in mice. Experts believe that, for us humans, this means food with 'good' bacteria can improve the way we feel.
Many food products are claiming to be high in this 'good' bacteria and some of the best types are homemade fermented food like miso soup, yoghurt and sauerkraut. This really makes me think twice about what I eat – maybe I should change my diet to perk me up!
Doctor Michael Mosley would agree. He's been looking into this for the BBC and says the best food to cheer us up is in a "Mediterranean diet. Olive oil; oily fish, full of omega 3, which is really good for the brain; whole grains; lots of fruits and vegetables. Sugar: terrible for you!"
So maybe it's time to lay off the fatty and sugary things. Eating healthily may seem simple, even if the science behind it is complex. It's not rocket science, but this is further evidence for the saying 'we are what we eat' – the person we are is determined by the food we eat.
There are other factors that can change our mood, but it seems we have some ability to improve how we feel by controlling what we put on our plate. Does your diet affect your mood?
词汇表
pleasurable [ˈpleʒərəbl] adj. 令人愉快的，愉悦的
feast on [fiːst] 尽情享用，饱餐
texture [ˈtekstʃə(r)] n. 口感；质地
belly [ˈbeli] n. 腹部，肚子
put a smile on one's face 使某人开心，让某人面露笑容
sweet tooth n. 爱吃甜食，对甜食的喜好
waistline [ˈweɪstlaɪn] n. 腰围；腰身部分
pick-me-up n. 提神的东西，提振情绪的东西
dietician [ˌdaɪəˈtɪʃn] n. 营养师，营养学家
diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] n. 糖尿病
gut [ɡʌt] n. 肠道，消化道
organism [ˈɔːɡənɪzəm] n. 生物体，有机体，微生物
'good' bacteria [bækˈtɪəriə] n. 有益细菌（对健康有益的细菌，如肠道中的益生菌）
germ [dʒɜːm] n. 细菌，微生物
fermented food [fəˈmentɪd] n. 发酵食品
miso soup [ˈmiːsəʊ] n. 味噌汤（日式传统汤品）
yoghurt [ˈjɒɡərt] n. 酸奶，酸乳
sauerkraut [ˈsaʊəkraʊt] n. （德国）酸菜，泡菜
perk someone up [pɜːk] 使某人振作起来，使某人活跃起来
Mediterranean diet [ˌmedɪtəˈreɪniən] 地中海饮食（以橄榄油、鱼类、全谷物、蔬果为主的健康饮食模式
olive oil [ˈɒlɪv] n. 橄榄油
oily fish [ˈɔɪli] n. 油性鱼类，多脂鱼类（如三文鱼等，富含Omega-3）
omega 3 [ˈəʊmɪɡə] n. 欧米伽3（一种对人体有益的多不饱和脂肪酸）
whole grain [ɡreɪn] n. 全谷物，全麦
lay off 停止，戒掉（习惯、食物等）
fatty [ˈfæti] adj. （食物）多脂肪的，油腻的
sugary [ˈʃʊɡəri] adj. 含糖量高的，高糖的
rocket science n.（喻）高深的学问，复杂的技术
we are what we eat 人如其食（指饮食决定人的健康和状态）
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