The role of food in human memory
The human senses of taste and smell can transport us back in time. Through food, you can hear the laughter and can see places in your mind that you have not been to for some time.
Photo credit Tim Foster
Photo credit Alexandru Stravica
Cover photo credit Marricca Price
Food plays a powerful role in our memories. Many foods are important to our memories. We all have our food memories, some good and some bad. The taste, smell, and texture of food can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back memories not just of eating food itself but also of place and setting. Your eating decisions are based on memories more often than you realise. We eat the foods we like and many foods we eat have nostalgic importance.
Eating a food you have not had for some time such as a childhood candy bar, mum’s comfort food or a food you were eating when something important happened – can bring back clarity, emotions and mindfulness. Many meals bring back memories – smells can heighten the senses and remind you of people and places. Nostalgic smells, especially those associated with childhood can take us back as smell and emotion are linked. Your mother’s perfume, grandma’s apple pie, dad’s whisky, even the cat’s fish can trigger feelings. Smell can recall emotions and memories, and often the recall of a smell is stronger than the visual memory – we “smell the memory first”!
Of course, we can have bad memories about food too. If you ate something as a child and did not like it, chances are you do not eat it today. We avoid foods that tasted bad or made us sick, seafood for example.
Smells bring back the memories?
Baked foods are very strong memory joggers; things like cakes, bread, bacon, mushrooms. And of course, comfort food. Comfort food trends have seen a real resurgence in recent years and our desire for comfort food seems to be holding strong. Comfort food is the food we have good memories about, the food we think of when we hear the word homemade, and that reminds us of simpler times.
“Comfort foods” are foods that relieve stress and remind us of our childhood or time spent with parents, grandparents and other special people. Their flavours bring back memories and emotions of good times past. In recent years, our palates have become more international and discerning, and our waistlines dictate that we eat a little less - some foods have been lost in time. And “memory” foods transcend time and deserve to be revisited.
Fish such as sardines, mackerel, and tuna, salmon, that are high in omega 3 fats assist with brain function. Vegetables & fruit; particularly those high in antioxidants like dark leafy vegetables, spinach, onions, sweet potato, asparagus, tomatoes, grapes; all help to feed our brains. Berries, especially blueberries, are also high in antioxidants and improve memory. Even coffee is good for you! Only in moderation – coffee has been shown to aid memory as it helps focus and may aid in combating dementia – but too much can lead to lack of concentration. Do not smoke. Smoking destroys memory cells. In addition, of course exercise. Aerobic exercise helps blood circulation, which helps memory whilst mental exercise helps keep the brain active.
- by Carolina Holzmeister
