孤獨時想想巧克力 美食竟能排遣寂寞

It may be bad for the waistline, but comfort food is good for the soul Comfort food may be bad for the waistline but it is good for the soul, say researchers. A study found that even thinking about mashed potato, chicken soup or chocolate pudding can combat loneliness. It is thought that we choose certain foods when the going gets tough because they remind us of happier times, including childhood meals and family holidays.

我們都知道，兒時學的成語“畫餅充飢”的意思是：畫個餅來解除飢餓。比喻用空想來安慰自己。特別是用來欺騙別人，並有“自欺欺人”的含義。然而，隨着科學越來越發達，針對美食與心理學之間的研究成果越來越多，好事的科學家們竟然得出結論：畫餅充飢並非用來形容自欺欺人用“空想”來安慰自己。據悉，專家證實，空想美食（比如雞湯、巧克力布丁、土豆泥等等）都能達到“排解寂寞”以及身心健康的目的。結論解釋，當我們處在焦慮的狀態中，我們倘若能“意念”憑空想象一下美食的樣子，這種美好的行爲可以促發我們想起歡樂的時候，包括童年生活以及家庭其樂融融的景象。

In an attempt to make a group of volunteers feel lonely, the U.S. researchers asked them to write about a row with someone close to them. Some then wrote about eating a comfort food while others wrote about eating a new food. Finally, participants answered questions about their levels of loneliness. Those who were generally secure in their relationships were able to rescue themselves from loneliness by writing about a comfort food, the journal Psychological Science reports.

在針對一羣志願者的調查中美國研究人員發現，當要求志願者寫下最希望和親密的朋友做什麼事情纔不孤單時（來測試他們對孤獨的反映，孤單程度），很多人寫到：享用美食、或者嘗試新的食物。科學家認爲，那些在兩性關係中處於比較穩固狀態的人，會通過寫出與朋友分享美食來度過孤獨的時光，這項研究發表在《心理科學》期刊上

University of Buffalo researcher Jordan Troisi said: ‘It seems comfort food is a sort of ready-made easy resource for remedying a sense of loneliness.’ Cure to loneliness? Certain foods make us remember better times

來自布法羅大學的研究員Jordan Troisi 說：“美食的效果很神奇，它可以喚醒人們對生活的美好的記憶，不失爲戒除孤單的一種良藥。”