Why eating a lot feels so darn good

The brain rewards eating salt, fat and sugars by releasing feel-good chemical substances.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Food can induce feel-good chemicals in the same way as drugs and alcohol
• Evolution, competition and ingestion analgesia are factors in pleasure of eating
• Being full feels satisfying compared with gnawing, rumbling hunger pains

RELATED TOPICS

• Diet and Nutrition
• Thanksgiving
• Health and Fitness
• Cognitive Science

(CNN) -- On Thanksgiving, many of us will eat way more than normal and then waddle away contented, with a turkey and sweet potato buzz.
Having a belly stuffed with comforting food can feel like a warm hug from the inside.
Evolution has given us the instinct to eat a lot every time we can, preparing for hard times. It's the drive to survive, like puffy-cheeked squirrels storing up for the winter. It's also fueled by competition: beating the others to the food.
More....Cnn.com