If you get moody when you're hungry...
Or if you're kids do...
Or your spouse...
You may now have an excuse.
The University of Cambridge just released information about a new study, on Science Daily's website, which is one of the first to show causal link between agression and serotonin (which can be regulated by diet).
Their findings highlight why some of us may become combative or aggressive when we haven't eaten. The essential amino acid necessary for the body to create serotonin can only be obtained through diet. Therefore, our serotonin levels naturally decline when we don't eat, an effect the researchers took advantage of in their experimental technique.
The article goes on to say serotonin is brought into the body by ingesting it (trytophan), and that some foods are loaded with it. Chicken soup and chocolate, for instance. Which may be why they've come to be called comfort foods.
"Our results suggest that serotonin plays a critical role in social decision-making by normally keeping aggressive social responses in check. Changes in diet and stress cause our serotonin levels to fluctuate naturally, so it's important to understand how this might affect our everyday decision-making."
Yeah. An excuse to snack on chocolate. As I needed one.