Gaby
It isn’t pies or lasagna — the favorite winter dish is soup. Researchers found the most comforting food of the season is even heartier than a Sunday roast. And that dish is soup.
According to the British research agency Walnut Unlimited, a bowl of soup is the best antidote to stress. It has a calming effect similar to the embrace of a loved one or being wrapped in a cozy blanket. What’s more, soup can lift your spirits even more than a warm bath or curling up with a good book.
What the Study Found
Many people eagerly reach for a hot bowl of soup when it’s cold outside or when they’re feeling under the weather. But scientists wanted to understand the emotions that come with that comfort.
A team from Walnut Unlimited showed 49 volunteers a short video meant to make them feel like they were having a bad day. The video depicted unpleasant events such as train cancellations, traffic jams, terrible weather, and a dead phone battery.
After watching the video, the researchers fed each participant soup while measuring their brain activity with 14 electrodes attached to their heads.
The results showed that while eating soup, participants experienced feelings of pleasure similar to those from hugs. In fact, six-second hugs — whether between participants or with family members — produced the same level of brain activity as eating soup.
The next phase of the study involved showing participants a video featuring soup. Those images had a calming effect comparable to videos that helped volunteers imagine themselves snuggled under a blanket, wearing soft slippers, sitting by a fire, or strolling through nature.
Watching the soup video was even more soothing for participants than visualizing petting a furry friend, taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, watching their favorite TV show, or sipping tea from a large mug.
In the third phase of the study, participants were shown eight videos about other comfort foods. Their brain reactions indicated that soup has the same calming effect as sausages with mashed potatoes or cheese toast. However, it proved more comforting than fish and chips or warm pudding, according to the Daily Mail.
What Else Did the Study Find?
Neuroscientist Andy Myers, the lead author of the study, explained: “From a neurological perspective, comfort is a powerful response. It’s a state of calm and ease, a natural antidote for the brain against stress and bad moods.”
This feeling can be triggered by foods that create a sense of safety and tranquility — like soup.
On winter days, heating soup on the stove often feels much more enjoyable than cooking a meal from scratch.
In a recent survey, 71 percent of 2,000 British respondents said they believe people need comfort now more than ever, and nearly half admitted they seek comfort even more than before.
Another survey by the strategic analysis agency Opinium found that two-thirds of respondents consider food an important source of comfort, with 42 percent naming soup as a comfort food.
