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When we notice something really harmful, threatening, or challenging is happening, we experience a series of emotional states that prepare us to deal with that event. We may experience fear or anxiety, but we can also experience rage. If the developments threaten someone we love, our mind will remind us of that love and the need to act to protect that person. In such situations, our bodies will experience stress. The reactions will not be solely psychological, but a series of strong physiological changes will also occur.
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The body needs a wide variety of nutrients to stay healthy. Some are needed in large quantities, and they are called macronutrients, while others are needed in smaller quantities (micronutrients). Still, all of these nutrients are needed for our body to remain healthy. To obtain all the nutrients found in different food items, people establish patterns of eating and drinking we refer to as “diets” (or, in nutritional psychology, “dietary intake patterns”).
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Living beings need to eat to stay alive. Multiple times daily, processes in our body tell our brain that we need to eat. We feel hunger, prompting us to look for food and eat it. After we have eaten, we feel satiated. This cycle continues as long as we live. But how does this function on the neural and biochemical level?
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Scientists have long been reporting that individuals consuming high amounts of certain foods or taking certain substances tend to often suffer from specific diseases or disorders (Huang et al., 2023; Samuthpongtorn et al., 2023; Tilg, 2015; Wang et al., 2023). However, these findings often fall short of establishing a cause-and-effect link between the consumption of specific food and health outcomes. This happens because the effects of foods become visible only after prolonged periods of consumption. Experimental studies that identify cause-and-effect relationships can often not be conducted for long periods. Additionally, since many of these adverse health effects are very serious, it would not be ethical to conduct an experiment that is expected to inflict such conditions on study participants.
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When we suddenly find ourselves in a dangerous situation, our body activates a series of changes that prepare us to fight the source of the danger or flee from it. It will release stress hormones into our bloodstream; the heart will start beating faster, breathing will quicken, and sweating will increase. We will forget about being hungry, sleepy, or tired. This is called the acute stress response. However, the acute stress response is only temporary. As soon as the danger is over, the source of stress no longer threatens us; all the processes will return to normal. But what happens if the danger does not end if the cause of stress continues to threaten our well-being?
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