Chicken soup – and other “comfort” foods – really is good for the soul. They help us feel closer to others and overcome stress and loneliness.
Comfort foods, such as mashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie and macaroni and cheese, are associated with family and those close to us.
In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Buffalo had people think about a fight they had had with a friend – and then write about a comfort food or a new food. Those in the comfort food group immediately felt less lonely if the food was associated with family and friends.
Similarly, chicken soup makes people think about relationships – as long as that was the association they had with the food in the first place.
(Source: The Association for Psychological Science, March 23, 2011).
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