Diet Stress reduces our self-control when eating

Even moderate stress can influence our behavior
"Do I take the fruit plate or the piece of cake for dessert?" Anyone who is under stress in the job has more problems controlling themselves than a relaxed colleague. This is shown by a study by the University of Zurich. Thus, even a moderate level of stress would be sufficient to affect, for example, the decision-making when eating.

Negative stress leads to intestinal problems and hypertension
Tension, inner restlessness and constant nervousness damage your health. This has been known for a long time and is repeatedly proven by studies. If stress reduction does not work properly, the risk of gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, heart disease or back pain increases.

Stress changes the eating behavior. Image: Ana Blazic Pavlovic - fotolia

But stress obviously has far more effects. As a study by the University of Zurich shows, it also changes our ability to self-control. Accordingly, even a strenuous session in the morning could decide whether or not to grab a piece of cake after lunch, the university reports in a recent press release.

Subjects hold hands for three minutes in ice-cold water
According to a report from the University of Zurich, the researchers had put 29 subjects into a moderate state of stress in a laboratory experiment for their study. To do this, they asked the participants to dip one hand in ice water for three minutes while they were being watched by the experimenter all the time to increase the tension. Subsequently, the subjects selected in the MRI scanners several times between each two dishes. Another 22 participants underwent a control treatment. All were given the choice to eat something tasty, but unhealthy or something healthy, but less tasty.

People with ice bath treatment choose rather unhealthy food
It turned out that the taste was more in the foreground for those with stressful ice bath treatment. They were more likely to choose an unhealthy meal. An interesting result, because all subjects had stated in advance, to lead a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition and physical activity.

As the university further reports, the effects of stress are even recognizable in the brain. This is because stressed neuronal connection patterns were shown in the stressed participants between certain brain regions, which are important for the exercise of self-control, and the cerebral cortex, which is important for decisions. "Our findings are an important step in understanding the interactions between stress and self-control in the human brain," says study leader Silvia Maier.

However, the stress would affect several ways in the brain, also a disturbance of self-control ability at several points of the neural network is possible. Accordingly, "optimal self-control [.] Requires a precise balance between the interactions of the brain regions involved," Maier continues.

Moderate stress is already enough
According to the expert, the study indicates that even moderate stress could cause an impairment. "This is a valuable finding as moderate stressors are more prevalent than extreme events and therefore more self-regulating and more prevalent among the population," explains Todd Hare, Professor of Neuroeconomics at the Department of Economics, University of Zurich. (No)