Stress Eating and Comfort Foods: A Risk Factor for Mental Health and Heart Disease

Many of us reach towards food to seek comfort whenever we are feeling stressed. However, eating junk food in moments of stress can give only temporary respite and is harmful in the long run. There is new research that shows that consuming fatty comfort foods can exacerbate the effects of stress and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and mental health problems.

According to studies, stressed people tend to reach out for fatty foods for comfort. However, these foods can cause worsening of the stress and its effect on the mental and physical health.

People who consumed fatty meals were more susceptible to endothelial dysfunction, which in turn increases the risk of health problems, such as cardiovascular disease ⁽¹⁾. Plant foods are beneficial for endothelial dysfunction.

So, whenever you feel like eating fatty comfort foods, such as potato chips and ice cream when experiencing stress, try to restrain yourself, as it gives temporary pleasure and causes only harm and no good. A new study discovered that eating high-fat foods before any stressful events can cause detrimental effects on the endothelial function.

The endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels made of a single layer of cells ⁽²⁾. The function of endothelium is constriction and relaxation of blood vessels along with managing the transportation of fluids and other molecules to the tissues all over the body. Any endothelial dysfunction causes an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and clogged arteries ⁽³⁾.

How Consumption Of A Fatty Meal During Stress Affects The Blood Circulation?

Studies have shown that stress causes a decline in endothelial function for about 15 to 90 minutes after experiencing any stressful mishap in young and healthy individuals. Other than this, studies have also shown that people can overeat sugary and fatty foods when experiencing any stress, which has detrimental effects on the blood vessels, such as endothelial dysfunction. All these facts have led to the belief that there might be some interaction between the effects of stress and consumption of fatty foods, which causes further impairment of the blood flow.

A study was done to find out more about this where 21 healthy volunteers were taken and were each given a breakfast consisting of two butter croissants after which they were told to perform an eight-minute mental stress test where they had to solve math problems in their heads with increasing speed gradually. They also got a notification in case of wrong answer.

The aim of this test was to trigger the stress which a person can feel on an average day. The function of the vascular system of the participants was tested with the help of a method known as “flow-mediated dilatation,” which measures the flow of blood through an artery in the arm.

It was found that eating fatty foods when experiencing stress caused reduction in vascular function by about 1.74%, while eating a low-fat meal when experiencing stress showed a 1.18% reduction in the function of the vessels.

It was found in older studies that having even a 1% reduction in the endothelial function can lead to 13% increase in cardiovascular disease risk ⁽⁴⁾.

It was also found the decline in vascular function persisted for as long as 90 minutes after the math test concluded in participants who had consumed high-fat meal.

Researchers also found that eating high-fat foods caused harmful effects on oxygenation in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive function and this is how stress eating, is harmful for mental health ⁽⁵⁾.

Participants who had eaten the high-fat meal had 39% decrease in oxygenated hemoglobin when compared to those who had consumed a low-fat meal.

Why Does Fat Increase The Effects Of Stress?

Studies have shown that eating high-fat foods when under stress can cause slowing of the healing process in the body, particularly the functioning of the endothelium, which indicates that eating these types of foods when stressed can cause negative effect on the vascular health in even healthy young people. However, it is not clear how eating fatty foods impairs the post-stress recovery process.

It is thought that it could be because of increased C-reactive protein and triglycerides after fat consumption, which can cause injury to the wall of the vessels or indirectly cause endothelial dysfunction by increasing the oxidative stress.

The increase in the C-reactive protein and triglycerides can stimulate inflammatory and vasoconstrictor markers thus reducing the nitric oxide from endothelium, which causes impairment of the endothelial function.

Why Do Stressed People Reach Out To Fatty Foods?

 Stress increases the desire for eating unhealthy fatty foods.  Individuals experiencing psychosocial stress have a tendency to eat an unhealthy diet. Stress causes increase in cortisol level, which is commonly known as the stress hormone; and increased cortisol levels are associated with an increased appetite for foods, which are dense in calories and low in nutrition, such as fatty foods, processed foods with added sugar and refined grains. These kinds of foods are bad for health and exacerbate the effects of mental or emotional stress and increase the risk for mental health and physical health problems. Unhealthy foods and increased cortisol can cause increase in abdominal obesity, which is a part of metabolic syndrome.

What are the Foods that Improve the Endothelial Function?

Plant-based foods are full of bioactive compounds and these include vegetables, fruits, whole legumes and grains which are great for improving the endothelial function. The antioxidants and polyphenols present in these foods have anti-inflammatory and vasodilator effects, which are beneficial for the endothelium.

Foods such as beetroot, blueberries and plums help in improving the endothelial dysfunction and drinks, which are abundant in polyphenol, such as pomegranate juice and green tea also help with the endothelial dysfunction.

Other than this, healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids present in nuts, cold-water fish, algae oil, and seeds also have a beneficial effect on the vascular health and mental health ^{(6, 7, 8)}.

Probiotics which are found in fermented foods or supplements are beneficial in increasing the gut microbiome diversity, which in turn helps with endothelial function ⁽⁹⁾.

Coping Strategies for People suffering from Stress and Comfort Food Cravings

Seeing all the research and studies on the negative effects of the fatty comfort food eaten in response to stress or anxiety, one should try to look for other options to divert the cravings and reduce the feelings of stress and get some control over the overwhelming emotions. Some of the ways to cope with stress and to get a grip on stress eating are ^{(10, 11, 12, 13)}:

• Go for a walk. Moving your body from one place to another helps in relieving the stress and finding an outlet for all the tension which one is experiencing.
• Meditation is beneficial for reducing stress and is helpful in calming the mind so one can make healthier food choices instead of going for impulsive eating.
• Journaling or writing down the things which are triggering your stress helps in coping with the negative emotions and reduces the feelings of anxiety.
• Exercising is beneficial for mental as well as physical health and greatly improves the stress in the life which prevents the comfort food stress eating.
• Diet plays the most important role in mental and physical health and it is important to avoid eating fatty foods as much as possible. Eating a vegetarian diet is beneficial for vascular health.
• Talking to a friend or family member about what is stressing you is a great coping mechanism for negative emotions and avoiding stress eating.
• Listening to music or watching your favorite show is a good way to feel better and gives you time to process your anxious and stressful emotions.
• Deep breathing exercises are really helpful in combating stress and calming you down.
• Sleep on it. Taking a good night’s sleep when something is bothering you makes you feel so much better and allows you to see everything which is bothering you in a different way.

Conclusion

Many of us have reached out towards comfort foods consisting of fatty, fried or sugary foods in moments of stress, which is okay as long as it does not become a regular habit.  However, there are new studies which show consumption of fatty comfort foods when under stress increases the already damaging effects of stress on endothelial function, which in turn is detrimental for mental and cardiovascular health.

People who have eaten a fatty meal just before a stressful event were found to have decreased blood flow in their arms along with reduced levels of oxygen in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is thought to occur as a result of impaired endothelial function and increases the risk for mental health problems.

To counteract these negative effects on the endothelium, it is recommended to eat plant based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, as they have compounds, which help in improving the endothelial dysfunction. Probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial for protecting and improving the vascular health.

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Also Read:

• How to Stop Emotional Over Eating and Regain Healthy Weight?
• The Impact of Diet on Anxiety : Foods to Avoid for Better Mental Health