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Comfort Food's Drug-Like Brain Hit Revealed
23 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Sugar in comfort foods activates brain pleasure centers like drugs.
- Nutritional psychiatrist explains the addictive nature of comfort food.
- Dietitian offers healthier alternatives to nostalgic favorites.
The intense pleasure derived from comfort foods is linked to how sugar impacts the brain, activating the same reward pathways as illicit substances. This neurological connection underscores the deep emotional attachment many people have to specific dishes.
Nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo highlights this phenomenon, explaining why these familiar foods offer such profound solace. Suzanne Tomlinson, owner of Poorhouse Pies, shares insights from her bakery, where pies are a staple, contributing to this cultural embrace of comforting cuisine.
Registered dietician Stefani Sassos further explores the topic by offering accessible, plant-based alternatives to classic comfort foods. These revised favorites aim to deliver the same nostalgic warmth and satisfaction while mitigating the negative health effects of high sugar and fat content.
