Researchers have discovered that the favorite winter dish isn’t pies or lasagna. Experts have also found that the most comforting food of the cold season is even heartier than a Sunday roast. And that dish is soup.
According to the British research agency Walnut Unlimited, a bowl of soup is the best antidote to stress. It turns out that this dish has a calming effect similar to the embrace of a loved one or being wrapped in a cozy blanket. What’s more, soup can lift your spirits even better than a warm bath or curling up with a good book.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
Many people eagerly enjoy a hot bowl of soup when it’s cold outside or when they’re feeling under the weather. However, scientists wanted to uncover the feelings that accompany this experience.
A team from Walnut Unlimited showed 49 volunteers a short video designed to make them feel as though they were having a bad day. The video depicted unpleasant events such as train cancellations, traffic jams, terrible weather, and a dead phone battery.
After watching, the researchers fed each participant soup while simultaneously measuring their brain activity with 14 electrodes attached to their heads.
The results showed that while consuming soup, participants experienced feelings of pleasure similar to those from hugs. In fact, six-second hugs between participants or with family members produced the same level of brain activity as eating soup.
The next phase of the study involved showing participants a video featuring soup. These images had a calming effect comparable to videos that helped volunteers imagine themselves snuggled under a blanket, wearing soft slippers, sitting by a fire, or dreamily walking in nature.
Watching the soup video was even more soothing for participants than visualizing petting a furry friend, taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, watching their favorite TV show, or sipping tea from a large mug.
In the third phase of the study, participants were shown eight videos about other comfort foods. Their brain reactions indicated that soup has the same calming effect as sausages with mashed potatoes or cheese toast. However, it was found to be even more comforting than fish and chips or warm pudding, as reported by the Daily Mail.
What Else Can Be Added?
Neuroscientist Andy Myers, the lead author of the study, explained: “From a neurological perspective, comfort is a powerful response. It’s a state of calm and ease, a natural antidote for the brain against stress and bad moods.”
This emotion can be triggered by foods that create a sense of safety and tranquility. For example, soup.
Interestingly, on winter days, heating soup on the stove feels much more enjoyable than cooking a meal from scratch.
In a recent survey, 71 percent of 2,000 British respondents stated that they believe people need comfort now more than ever, and nearly half admitted they seek comfort even more than before.
Another survey conducted by the strategic analysis agency Opinium revealed that two-thirds of respondents consider food an important source of comfort, with 42 percent naming soup as a comfort food.