Ice Cream Therapy: Lonely Women May Turn to Sweets As Emotional Painkillers, Study Reveals

According to a new study, there's a reason why lonely women may crave cake, ice cream, and other sweets.

Lonely Women May Crave Sweets More

The new study notes that lonely women crave sweets because these treats could serve as emotional painkillers. The study could help explain the "comfort eating" behavior. Such findings were noted in the "Social Isolation, Brain Food Cue Processing, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Symptoms" study.

As part of the study, the researchers assessed nearly 100 women. The procedures involved showing the women images of sweet and savory food and non-food objects to compare. The brain activity of these women was recorded through MRI scans as they looked at the pictures.

These women were also quizzed regarding their feelings of isolation, loneliness, and dietary habits. Their body fat was also measured through body composition tests.

The team, comprising experts from the University of California Los Angeles, noted that lonelier women, as defined by them, exhibited higher brain activity in regions associated with food cravings.

The researchers note that holistic approaches that aim at both the mind and body to nourish a lonely brain should be used in helping women break the cycle.

Dr. Xiaobei Zhang, the study's lead author, explains that if one has more cravings, they may end up eating more and have more depression and anxiety, which could trigger eating even more.

Dr. Arpana Gupta, a co-author of the study, explains that looking into how the brain can process loneliness and how this is linked to health outcomes and obesity has not been done in the past. Such findings spark interest as they offer evidence for what is intuitively known.

When people feel lonely, this affects more than just their feelings. They may underreport what they eat, their cravings, and their desire to eat.

Findings revealed that women who were more socially isolated had higher body fat levels, worse diets, stronger cravings, and eating patterns that were more uncontrollable.

The study also noted that the loneliest participants had more symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Scans also suggest that activity was lesser in brain regions linked to self-control.

According to the researchers, sweet food has a more overarching and pronounced influence than savory foods. Such sweet foods are also advantageous, inducing an analgesic effect that could dampen social pain linked to social exclusion.

ALSO READ: Why Is There Always Room for Dessert Even After a Hearty Meal? Unveiling Satiety's Sweet Temptation

Holistic Approach To Treating Loneliness

The researchers add that to keep the lonely brain nourished and fed, holistic approaches that aim for both the mind and body for general lifestyle improvement are important. These approaches could offer the most effective way to mitigate the complicated impacts of social isolation.

For a long time, scientists have warned that loneliness could take years off one's life. It could even be as dangerous as being fat or smoking.

Studies have also discovered that loneliness boosts cortisol levels. This could result in unhealthy swelling, insulin resistance, and weight gain.

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