Wondering why you crave crunchy food?
According to science, it has to do with how it influences our perception (and stress level).
The crunch factor, of course.
Hugh Humphery, MD, is a functional medicine psychiatrist and Everlywell advisor.
But what about the other 10 to 20 percent?
How does crunchiness affect our perception of food?
Charles Spence, Ph.D., is a gastrophysicist and professor of experimental psychology, and head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford.
Well, your love of the crunch might not be purely coincidental.
Participants received real-time sounds associated with their own biting action over closed-ear headphones.
And on the other hand, chips were rated stale or softer when the sound and frequency were lowered.
(Similar findings were observed in anItalian study on apples and crispness).
Its like a prototype in a way.
What makes crunchy food appear to taste so much better?
So, what exactly makes crunchy food more appetizing than a quiet, noiseless one?
Take, for example, a soggy chip (a near-universally distasteful experience).
Its got the fat, sugar, and flavoring.
Charles Spence, Ph.D., is a gastrophysicist and professor of experimental psychology, and head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford.
But all it doesnt have is the crunch, he says.
What makes a crunchy chip far more appealing than a soft, mushy one?
Whereas, as they tend to get older, they lose some of their nutritional value.
He also notes that crunchiness helps redirect the attention to the activity of eating.
Mostly when we eat, we dont really pay attention to what were consuming.
Were on mobile devices, chatting, or watching television.
Rarely is our attention on what were tasting, he explains.
When you eat something and keep eating it, you adapt to it.
This desensitization happens more slowly if the food is noisy.
What psychological effects does crunchy food have on stress levels?
However, he says in addition to this, crunchy foods might benefit your stress levels, too.
According to Dr. Humphery, stress can result in changes in food intake patterns.
Hand over the bag of chips, why dont ya?
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