Pasta is known to fill you up and warm your heart. And now, on the occasion of Yellow Day (June 20), the longest and “happiest” day of the year, comes the “official” confirmation from science. A new study conducted in Italy by researchers from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and published in the journal Food Science & Nutrition, analyzed the psychological and emotional effects of pasta consumption, discovering that those who eat pasta regularly experience higher levels of joy, less stress and a better quality of life.

Led by Francesco Pagnini , full professor of Clinical Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore with academic experience at Harvard University, the research was carried out with the support of the Barilla Group and involved a sample of 1,532 Italian adults, balanced by age, gender and geographical area, interviewing them via Cawi interviews. The study found that 41% of Italians associate pasta with family, 21% with positive emotions and 10% with a feeling of pleasure.

The study participants who consumed pasta at least three times a week reported, in addition to the feeling of satiety (34%), also “satisfaction” (29%) and “a sense of authentic happiness” (10%). Furthermore, regular pasta consumption is related to a decrease in stress and an improvement in general well-being.

The impact of pasta on emotional well-being is greater than that of other foods: in tests conducted by researchers, it emerged that people linked pasta to positive emotions much more than what was declared for other similar foods such as rice, bread and pizza. What's more, this "smile effect" of pasta is amplified when it is enjoyed in company, while for other carbohydrate-rich foods the social context matters less.

"Our research shows that the simple act of sharing a plate of pasta can create lasting emotional bonds and trigger positive emotions," said Professor Pagnini , "in this study, no other carbohydrate-based food such as rice, bread, pizza or other nutritional options is able to trigger such a boost in happiness as pasta when consumed with other people. The data suggest that the combination of pasta and social interaction significantly increases levels of happiness."

The study by clinical psychologists at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is the latest confirmation that a plate of pasta is a happy experience. The joy of pasta also pervades us on a biochemical level: eating pasta stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep and appetite. This is thanks to the presence of complex carbohydrates that facilitate the absorption of tryptophan, a natural precursor of serotonin.