Curry beats stress

Research has found that eating curry, particularly spicier options, can relieve stress in much the same way as exercise due to the release of endorphins or 'feel-good' hormones.

Takeaways including red chilli peppers are considered to be the number one edible way to help relieve stress, due to the active chemical, capsaicin, according to a study carried out by www.just-eat.co.uk, an online takeaway portal.

Some 92% of Brits said that they feel 'happier' after eating a takeaway.

Takeaways such as Vindaloo, Madras and Thai curry are among the takeaway meals most associated with stress-relief, with their mix of endorphin releasing red chilli peppers and serotonin-rich mood-enhancing vegetables, notably tomatoes. 84% of the participants in the study mentioned that the fact they didn't have to cook when ordering in was a factor in improving their mood.

The top five mood-improving curries chosen by Brits are chicken/beef madras, vindaloo, Thai red curry, pasanda and jalfrezi.

And when asked, "Have you ordered takeaway food more regularly recently when compared to the same time last year?" just over three in five, 61%, agreed.

Online ordering portal Just-Eat have seen a 250% takeaway order increase across their 2480 UK partnered restaurants since the recession when compared to the same time last year, with the site now servicing more than 40,000 meal orders every day.

David Buttress, chief executive officer of Just-Eat.co.uk commented on the results: "Without sugaring the pill, the recession has been hugely stressful for many people in the UK. Despite this, we have seen a huge rise in sales, over 250% in fact, compared to the same time last year.

He added: "Despite it being common knowledge that exercise increases the release of endorphins helping improve mood, not many are aware that eating certain foods, including many curries can affect us in exactly the same way, which could explain why Brits have been ordering in their droves.

"The supplementary study proves that the public are cheered up by a good curry, not least for the fact it gives hard-working Brits an evening off from cooking!"

A total of 1,185 people took part in the survey.

Words: Maria Bracken

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