It has been confirmed by scientists that comfort food is extremely successful in reducing stress and depression. Margaret Morris, the Professor of Pharmacology, says that eating foods that are rich in sugar and fats may change the brain’s chemical composition, thus providing relief to stress.

A recent study conducted on rats by Prof Morris, from University of NSW School of Medical Sciences, shown that the effects of past trauma can be eliminated through intake of delectable food items.

Prof Morris told the AAP that the anxiety of the rats was reversed with this kind of diet, taking them back to their non-stressed state of mind. The reasons for this are still not known but there may be some biochemical links.

Initially, the research had different groups of baby rats. Rats from one group were exposed to normal contact with their mothers while those in the other group had to face separation for long periods of time. Rats that had more traumas in their early lives were seen to have higher stress hormone levels and lesser steroid receptors in the section of their brain that controls behavior. The signs of anxiety and depression were seen to disappear among the rats that were switched to junk food diets at later stages of their lives.

The control group did not have any effect from the diet, but the animals under stress had a deficit which was compensated by this kind of diet. The diet seems to have an affect on the neurogenesis, in the same way as anti-depressants promote growth of nerves in the brain.

Prof Morris warned that while the results of the study were not transferable to people immediately. It showed support to the therapeutic value of the comfort food and showed explanations of others patterns of the human behavior.

She said that if people are asked about what they usually eat while they are stress, they will tell you that they eat more cakes, chocolates and sweets and less fruits, vegetables and fishes. In addition to that, it is also usually found that people who had traumatic experiences in their childhood tend to be over-weight as adults.

Prof Morris said that this study should not be considered as a supporter of consuming junk food. If this is done, people will be exposed to more serious health related problems. Researches in the future will aims at determining whether other beneficial activities, like exercising, also have similar stress relieving affects on the brains of the rats and human.