What You Should Eat Before Making an Important Decision
Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach is a risky business, as anyone who has ever gone shopping with a growling stomach and left with a cart full of chips and cookies can attest. Have you ever wondered how your brain works when making big decisions, like choosing between mild or spicy salsa, buying a car, or accepting a job offer? Researchers conducted a study that highlights why you might want to take a small bite before making that big decision.
You Will Settle for Less When Hungry
Researchers tested 50 people twice: once while following their normal eating patterns and once when they had eaten nothing all day. Using three types of rewards food, money, and song downloads the team found that when people were hungry, they tended to choose a smaller immediate reward rather than a larger reward in the future.
In fact, when given the choice between receiving a reward now or double the reward later, participants usually volunteered to wait 35 days for the double bonus. But when hungry, they said they would wait only three days.
Hunger Affects How the Brain Works
“We wanted to know if being hungry has a specific effect on decisions related only to food, or if it has broader effects, and this study suggests decision-making becomes more present-focused when people are hungry,” the research report said.
“You would predict that hunger would influence people’s food preferences, but it is still unclear why people focus more on the present for unrelated rewards. Hunger is so common that it is important to understand the subtle ways it may affect our preferences and decisions,” the report added.
Choose Food That Fuels Your Brain
In previous research on this topic, researchers noted that serotonin plays a central role in decision-making. “Because the raw material for serotonin production an amino acid called tryptophan comes only from diet, chemical levels drop between meals,” the report said. “This can lead to aggression and impulsivity. Certain foods are particularly rich in this amino acid, mainly chicken broth and chocolate. Red meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, bananas, tuna, shellfish, and soy products are also good sources.”