People eat out of necessity, but also for pleasure. The human brain has evolved with two clear objectives: survival and procreation of the species.
To achieve both, he uses the same structures and connections, as he analyzes in an article published in PsychologyToday Gary L. Wenk, Ph.D. and professor of psychology, neuroscience, molecular virology, immunology, and medical genetics at Ohio University.
How cravings work in the brain
According to Gary L. Wenk, we humans have a need for close social connection (yes, even introverts). This craving for social intimacy is as powerful and compelling as the craving for food and even drugs.
This is supported by an article published in American Psychological Association, which insists that we require social connections to thrive. This research concluded that even just remembering previous experiences with someone close satisfies our needs for social connection.
Well, it turns out that the craving for social intimacy and food cravings share the same behavior in our brains. Brain imaging studies have implicated two brain regions: the ventral striatum – in charge of the reward system – and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
This is how we react when we see food advertising
Surely you have experienced a feeling of craving when seeing a food ad. The culprit is not your palate, nor your tongue, but your brain, and they know that well in neuromarketing. When you feel hungry, the ventral striatum is activated by seeing images of appetizing food. This same mechanism slows down once you have satiated your hunger.
Thus, the function of the ventral striatum is to convince us that we need to eat food. For its part, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex monitors the experience of eating. The latter is in charge of telling us that we enjoyed eating the food.
In this sense, it is believed that the two brain regions are closely linked with the social connection with other people. Feelings like loneliness and missing a loved one are associated with increased activity in the ventral striatum. On the other hand, a successful social connection corresponds to activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
In conclusion: the brain connection that shows us the need to eat and to interact is the same; as it is also the same one that gives us satisfaction after satisfying said deficiencies.
Brands bet on individual formats to fulfill cravings
The Riesco Pastry Shop is a classic in the eastern area of Santiago de Chile. And responding to customers’ need for “sweet cravings”, they even created new formats of their classic products. Risk Pastry It was founded in 1981 and is a relevant player in national confectionery.
This 2023 they resumed this course with whatyes Individual Desserts and Bars that seek to cover a new instance of consumption; the craving “So customers can enjoy their classic flavors (and other new ones) without the need to be at a social event, or sharing with someone else,” Javier Leighton explained in an interview with Velvet Magazine.
Along the same lines, old products that were a must will return, but in renewed versions: Highlights your Apple cake and their traditional drinks, Ideal for a social event and want to offer a variety of flavors of the best quality. It is a mix of 6 glasses with the flavors of Pie de Limón, Suspiro Limeño, Chocolate Mint Mousse, Tres Leches, Passion Fruit and Berries.
They will also have a new location: the Louis Pasteur opening 6288new space that They hope it will become the second most visited after Presidente Riesco 3473, the first store that opened in 1983.