We all scream for ice cream… especially during the month of July! In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared the start of National Ice Cream Month, with the third Sunday in July officially being National Ice Cream Day. For years, Oakwood Creative Care has believed in the healing effects of ice cream, and now we have the research to prove it. So, grab a scoop of your favorite flavor because eating ice cream has many great benefits!
The Ingredients of Ice Cream Help Make Our Bodies Strong
Ice cream is great for our fellow sweet tooth friends, but don’t be fooled! This delicious delicacy is more than a sugary treat. Milk and cream make up two of the foundational ingredients for ice cream. This is especially great if you don’t have a lactose intolerance because both foods are chock full of calcium, vitamins C and D, riboflavin, vitamin A, and phosphorous. In other words, ice cream can be a bone and muscle-friendly source!
These vitamins and nutrients are also perfect for boosting heart health, with PBS citing that “researchers found that those who ate ice cream no more than twice a week appeared to be 12 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, compared to those who didn’t eat ice cream.”
Ice Cream Has the Good Kind of Fat
According to professionals at Cope Clinic, ice cream is also a carrier for fat, a rather misunderstood but highly needed contributor to the smooth running functions of our bodies. Dr. Melissa Lieberman says, “Fat is an important nutrient for our bodies! It contributes to a lot of different functions, like providing us with energy, helping us absorb certain vitamins, and maintaining our cell membranes. Since we have about 100 trillion cells in our bodies, we need enough fat in our diets to keep them all healthy!”
Grab a Scoop of “Mood Booster” in Honor of National Ice Cream Month!
Other physicians have deemed ice cream as the “mood food.” The reason has everything to do with how the brain responds to even a tiny taste of this favorite treat. In studies done by the Institute of Psychiatry in London, researchers found that eating ice cream makes people happier overall.
After registering the taste of ice cream, the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex begins to respond, and we know this portion to be responsible for creating feelings of joy. This response is triggered by the nutrients commonly found in ice cream, like protein and fat, which aid our bodies by raising our energy and mood levels. They also found that the body absorbs amino acids, a building block for proteins, further increasing a person’s serotonin (the chemical response that makes us feel calm, satisfied, and rewarded).
Did You Know?
Oakwood Creative Care is bringing back the JOY in aging! We believe a diagnosis should not have to define your life. Instead, we have devoted our mission to reigniting hope for caregivers and older adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other age-related challenges. Click the button below to learn more about how we do this through our research-based, cutting-edge, creative care model found at each of our Day Clubs.
