An excuse to eat more cake is finally here, cake makes you happy! If you thought cake was bad for your health, then think again! The good news is moderate quantities of some types of cake are actually good for your mood and so may benefit your overall health.
Research in to some of the main ingredients of cake, show that eating those foods and so eating cake, affects your mood in a positive way. Milk, cream, butter and even bananas contain a naturally occurring chemical called tryptophan, which helps the brain produce serotonin - the hormone responsible for making us feel happy and calm.
Chocolate contains anadamine a chemical which is now known as a mood enhancer. Coffee increases the brain's production of dopamine which makes us feel good. Nuts contain selenium and omega 3 fats which improve blood flow to the brain and lift our moodSugar boosts endorphins which help to make us feel elated.
So it would seem, a slice of rich chocolate and banana cake or a piece of decadent coffee and walnut cake would be the ideal way to boost your mood.
Cake also has a psychological effect on the brain, due to its association with happy events. We usually consume cake on happy and/or special occasions, particularly as children, when we eat cake as adults it gives us that happy feeling from our childhood.
All of this is great news for those already partial to a piece of cake, and may go some way to explaining why Friday cake clubs are on the increase in offices throughout the UK. Personally I think Monday cake club would be better as it would give us all something to look forward to after the weekend!
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