12925137_sPeople often seek out their own unique comfort foods when in negative moods, and they believe that these foods rapidly improve their mood. In a recent study, participants were served their comfort food, an equally liked noncomfort food, a neutral food, or no food. Short-term mood changes were measured to see the psychological effects of these foods. Comfort foods led to significant improvements in mood, but no more than other foods or no food.  Although people believe that comfort foods provide them with mood benefits, comfort foods do not provide comfort beyond that of other foods (or no food).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25133833