Why You Crave Fatty Foods When You're Stressed

Turns out you can thank biology every time you crave some pasta or ice cream in a stressful situation.
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center discovered that ghrelin – the so-called "hunger hormone" – triggers this reaction in a leftover instinct from our caveman days.

The researchers tested two control groups of mice, which have been good models for studying stress in humans. Both groups were exposed to stronger "bully" mice, causing stress. The first group ended up gravitating towards fatty comfort food. The second group, which was genetically-engineered to avoid the effects of ghrelin, didn't show a preference for the high-calorie food and didn't eat as much as the other group.

The researchers theorize that the cravings caused by the hunger hormone gave our ancestors a survival advantage, since they’d end up eating high-calorie foods that would help them be more efficient hunters. But because we don't have to forage for food anymore, we don't need the extra calories. These days, all ghrelin is doing for us is leading to unhealthy weight gain.

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