Can food affect the perception of time?

Abstract

Time perception is an important and to some extent adjustable aspect of the human cognitive sphere. We hypothesize that the specific food consumption can affect the perception of time in two ways, namely through the emotions it triggers and through the nutrients it contains, which may affect brain chemistry. The “internal clock”, responsible for timing tasks, can be charged (accelerated) by arousal caused by visual food stimuli or uncharged (slowed down) in the same context by distraction of attention, leading to overestimation or underestimation of time, respectively. Nutrients can affect the “internal clock” rate in terms of increasing or decreasing it, which affects time estimation in the same way. Animal studies indicate that a protein meal, rich in the amino acid tyrosine, can increase the release of dopamine in the brain and speed up the “internal clock”. Furthermore, a carbohydrate meal can change the balance of amino acids in the brain in favor of tryptophan, which in turn can increase the release of serotonin and slow down the “internal clock”. Given that the modern, fast-paced lifestyle requires the slowing down of subjective time, it seems that the consumption of foods that charge/accelerate the “internal clock” is desirable for this purpose.