16 Feb, 2010

Here's a good reason why you shouldn't feel guilty for indulging in the occasional serving of piping hot chips.

A new study has found that hot chips have the power to improve moods and restore calmness because of their carbohydrates content and their association with happier times, reported UK's Telegraph.

The study, commissioned by the Potato Council and conducted in Aston University in Birmingham, involved asking 60 participants to watch a five-minute film footage which depicted the dropping of the atom bomb in Hiroshima during World War II.

The participants were then split into two groups, with half being given a plate of chips to eat and the other a magazine to read to take their minds off the film.

A questionnaire about their moods was also filled in before and after the experiment.

"The psychological data showed that participants who were feeling down felt better after eating chips," said Dr Mike Green, from Aston University.

"In fact, calmness was restored after 20 minutes."

Dr Green explained that the result could be caused by "the biological effects of the nutritional components on brain chemistry" or simply "a pleasurable sensation, triggered by the way chips taste."

Who knew hot chips had such restorative power?