Cool News: Why We Get Brain Freeze

by:
May 22, 2012

Now that we have our summer ice-cream scoops of choice squared away, it's probably time to address (again) the dark side of ice-cream. Not dark chocolate, we're afraid (although surely there will be time for that), but that all-too-familiar pain that can make you cringe just by saying its name: Brain Freeze. It's the awful, but totally inevitable, consequence of indulging a little too quickly in our favorite scoop of Salted Almond or Butter Pecan Fudge. But never fear! The Atlantic reports that recent studies on the phenomenon may actually lead to some important advancements in migraine-prevention and post-traumatic stress treatment. Very cool!

Now if only we could somehow rationalize that our daily scoop was contributing to scientific progress... 

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The Science of Brain Freeze (!) from The Atlantic

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Nozlee Samadzadeh
    Nozlee Samadzadeh
  • Desert Dryad
    Desert Dryad
Cassie loves to cook, eat, and then write about it. She can't resist anything with sweet potatoes, but if she had to pick one food for the rest of her life it might be avocado. (She changes her mind a lot.) She also believes that anything will taste better on a tortilla, and that tacos are the premier food of summertime. You can catch her reading Calvin & Hobbes on the stoop of her apartment, or on the roof in her garden. Say hello!

2 Comments

Nozlee S. May 22, 2012
I get esophagus freeze, but never brain freeze! Please investigate, scientists.
 
Desert D. May 22, 2012
I've never had brain freeze in my life, but eating ice cream does make me cough.