It's no secret that sadness can lead to rash decisions — usually in the wrong direction. As a result, the stereotypical pairing of articles about heartbreak and photos of empty Ben & Jerry's cartons has emerged.
But does happiness cause people to lose weight? Do you believe that happiness can influence our decisions in the right direction? University of Utah researchers believe so.
According to their findings, people with higher brain levels of serotonin, the "happiness chemical," are less likely to make rash decisions.
This was tested in two experiments in which some participants were given a tryptophan-rich meal (tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin). The tryptophan group was less susceptible to subsequent "gut" reactions and temptations in both experiments than the non-tryptophan group.
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According to the findings, tryptophan/serotonin had a moderating effect on both "impulsive choice" (the immediate need to acquire something without considering the consequences) and "impulsive response" (being unable to resist, even if one is aware of the consequences).
What This Means for Our Waistlines
In some of our unhealthy food choices, both impulsive choice and impulsive response are at work. Raise your hand if you've ever slammed your fist into a bag of cookies faster than you can blink an eye — let alone turn that eye to the nutrition label.
And raise your hand again if you did stop, think about the ingredients, and then eat half the bag like Cookie Monster.
Many people are aware that they can feel "out of control" with food at times. Consuming foods that affect serotonin levels may thus assist us in better controlling our behaviour.
It may be especially beneficial if you have an impulsive personality (as I do), which makes you more vulnerable to food addiction. According to the study's authors, impulsive people are more sensitive to serotonin's moderating effects. There is still hope!
Happiness Might Even Help Combat Sabotage
Aside from impulsive personality traits, there are a slew of other factors that limit our ability to make healthy food choices.
Consider restaurant environmental cues (e.g., huge plates and portions combined with freeeezing temperatures). Or our proclivity to overeat when the TV is on.
There's also "smellvertising" (yes, burger joints actually pump artificial scents into the air to tease your nostrils). A serotonin boost could be the antidote to these unseen saboteurs.
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Willpower affects more than just food choices: a University of Utah study looked at impulsive responses in general and discovered that increased serotonin levels improved the ability to "stick to your guns." So, if you're happier, you're more likely to stick to your gym plans despite a friend's invitation, or to forego a late-night Netflix marathon in favour of a good night's sleep.
More Slimming Benefits of a Positive Mood
Before you rush out and eat turkey at every meal, keep in mind that this theory is not without controversy. According to the author of a comprehensive article on serotonin published in the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, foods containing serotonin do not cross the blood-brain barrier.
"While purified tryptophan increases brain serotonin, tryptophan-containing foods do not," he says. "The popular belief that eating a high-protein food like turkey will increase brain tryptophan and serotonin levels is, unfortunately, false."
Nerve cells in the brain
Nonetheless, serotonin may be beneficial for weight loss. Even if tryptophan-rich foods do not affect our serotonin levels in the brain, other factors may — the neuroscientists conducting the study mentioned several, including exercise.
Furthermore, regardless of whether any of this influences our impulsive behaviour, there is a clear link between feeling happy and making healthy choices.
When we are happy, we have a higher self-esteem and a desire to protect ourselves (as opposed to self-sabotage). We're also less likely to seek out high fat or high sugar foods for a quick mood boost.
Finally, a long-term sense of well-being can help us see ourselves as people who make good decisions — it becomes part of our identity.
Not All Impulses are Bad, Either
When healthy behaviour is our default mode, it becomes so ingrained in our minds that if we do react impulsively, those impulses are more likely to be positive. So, whether you eat tryptophan-rich foods, exercise to increase serotonin, or work on your identity, all of these things can help you feel happier, which should help you keep your hand out of the cookie jar. If you're having trouble, try changing the contents of your cookie jar.
This Delicious Juice Burns Up To 62lbs of Fat
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