A team at the Neuromarketing Behavioral & Brain Lab at Italy’s Free University of Languages and Communication (IULM), wanted to see if there was a real, testable connection between how people respond emotionally and neurologically to eating pasta.

The study, one of the many on the benefits of pasta, revealed a whole bunch of fascinating results:

– Eating pasta activates a strong and sustained emotional-cognitive state similar to listening to music or watching sports
– The taste of pasta alone stimulates positive memories and emotions
– Individuals associate eating pasta with spending time with family and friends
– 40 percent of participants consider pasta a comfort food and 76 percent confirmed that eating pasta increases happiness

On the neuroscience front, extensive research tells us that eating pasta – a complex carbohydrate – stimulate endorphins, which increases absorption tryptophan and B vitamins found in pasta. Tryptophan helps boosting serotonin levels in the brain, contributing to feelings of happiness. B vitamins relax muscles while producing serotonin.

Source: Food beast

[https://www.foodbeast.com/news/pasta-has-been-scientifically-proven-to-increase-happiness/](https://www.foodbeast.com/news/pasta-has-been-scientifically-proven-to-increase-happiness/)