Fat Foods to Soothe Pain and Anger

Fatty meal seems to have comforting and pain-reducing effect.

Research conducted by the Center for Human Nutrition, University of Sheffield, UK, has shown that fatty meal seems to have comforting and pain-reducing effect.

A meal of full-fat pancakes before the pain sensitivity test (a hand immersed in ice-cold water) decreased the sense of pain comparing with low-fat, high-carbohydrate pancakes of equal calorific value.

However, when these people had the same amount of fat, carbohydrates, and calories infused as a liquid meal directly in the stomach through a tube, the pain sensation was not change by any meal.

"From this evidence we think that there must have been a heavy sensory component involved in the study," researchers suggested.

In another study, also from the University of Sheffield, researchers showed that cutting down on dietary fat (from 41% to 25%) caused a higher 'anger-hostility' ratings. Those who continued with a high-fat diet not only kept the 'anger-hostility' ratings unchanged but also felt that their tension and anxiety went down.

The main character in this play may well be cholecystokinin - "CCK." CCK is a gut hormone that is being released in response to fatty food more readily than to any other food. Since CCK inhibits gastric motility, fatty foods slow stomach emptying resulting in a greater 'satiety' or fullness.

Interestingly, CCK is under influence of the "body fat" hormone Leptin (mutations in Leptin gene results in obesity.)

CCK is known for its strong general regulatory properties. These functions were shown to be under CCK control:

Emotionality
Movement activities
Pain sensitivity
Appetite
Thirst
Sexual activity
Curiosity
Learning
Memory

From this standpoint, no wonder that fatty foods improve mood, calm people down, and decrease aggressiveness.