Eating in company is good for your health: two recent studies confirm this. The first, from the University of Minnesota and published in the journal ‘Family, System and Health’, photographs current conviviality by analyzing daily habits and rituals in Italy, Germany and the United States, with over a thousand participants from each country. The second is an Italian study published in ‘Nutrition Research’, which analyzes the most recent literature to confirm how eating together is good for you, makes you happier and less stressed. The two studies were presented on the occasion of the new appointment, part of the ‘Let’s Talk About Food & Science’ series of meetings promoted by the Barilla Group, in which the authors of the Italian scientific review Elisabetta Bernardi, nutritionist from the University of Bari and scientific communicator, and Francesco Visioli, associate professor of Human Nutrition, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, with Vincenzo Russo, full professor of Consumer Psychology and Neuromarketing, founder and coordinator of the Neuromarketing Research Center ‘Behavior and Brain Lab’ of the Iulm University.
In detail, the study by the University of Minnesota, carried out in collaboration with the Barilla Group – explains a note – reveals that those who eat more often in company declare they are less stressed, especially Germans and Italians, and, at the end of the meal, have a better mood for the rest of the day, especially Americans and Germans. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were found between the frequency of shared meals and the strengthening of social bonds in all 3 countries analyzed. Another positive piece of news is that conviviality is a global phenomenon and not just a Mediterranean one, albeit with some differences: 50% of those interviewed say they consume 6 or more meals a week with family or friends, with peaks of 74% in Italy, which is a leader in conviviality. At the other extreme are the United States, with one in 10 Americans admitting they never eat with friends or family and 3 in 10 eating no more than 2 family meals a week. Furthermore, 20% of Italians share photos of the meal on social media, as much as Americans and more often than Germans, a habit tolerated by diners as long as they don’t engage in video calls or phone calls.
Further proof of the positive correlation between conviviality, lower prevalence of chronic-degenerative diseases, and greater psychological well-being and longevity comes from the Italian scientific review carried out by Bernardi and Visioli, according to which the analysis of inflammatory responses, blood pressure levels, heart rate and cortisol levels highlight a direct relationship between happiness, health and longevity, although the mechanisms that regulate such a relationship are not yet completely clear.
“The Mediterranean dietary model, which is based precisely on the value of conviviality – observes Visioli – is good and numerous studies prove it. Among the most recent, a survey conducted on the Spanish population which demonstrated a correlation between the Mediterranean diet, sharing meals and lower onset of cardiovascular diseases. The social context therefore has a profound influence on eating behavior: when people share a meal they give priority to health and well-being, favoring a healthy diet and increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables”. Furthermore, according to the study, households that eat meals together tend to have healthier diets and their members are less likely to be overweight or obese. In particular, children who have grown up with parents accustomed to consuming fruit and vegetables from an early age will be more inclined to integrate these foods into their daily diet. Not only that: the two scholars report evidence that children who eat family meals have a lower risk of obesity, better academic results and are less stressed and anxious. Participating in meals with friends and family also creates an environment conducive to exchanging experiences, thus improving the quality of communication.
“This evidence – adds Bernardi – reminds us of the importance of finding time for shared meals. There is no need to regret convivial models that are part of a distant past: whether it is a pleasant brunch on the weekend or a quick dinner during the week, the benefits of gathering around the table are there and undeniable. By fostering bonds and promoting positive emotions, shared meals, particularly if inspired by the Mediterranean diet, have the potential to improve individuals’ quality of life and strengthen their beliefs. bonds within communities. Finally, positive memories of previous social interactions with relatives or close friends influence the decision to pursue further connections with these people.”
If the Mediterranean diet is the food model of conviviality, its symbolic dish can only be pasta. “Eating pasta – underlines Russo – causes the individual to have a positive emotional-cognitive state with results equal, if not even superior, to those recorded with neuroscientific techniques while listening to one’s favorite music or attending an event with the sportsman one supports. A study carried out by our Neuromarketing Research Center ‘Behavior & Brain Lab’ of Iulm University has shown that the emotional experience experienced during tasting your favorite pasta is equal to that generated by the recall of happy memories, in particular those linked to family. The participants in our test in fact linked the consumption of pasta to moments of family sharing (5.10 on a Lickert scale from 1 to 6) and friendship (5.07)”.
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