Maybe somebody was skeptical about ice cream being pleasing to the brain and the taste buds. Whatever the reason, MaggieMoos Ice Cream & Treatery decided to get some scientific evidence to prove it. I say “duh.” My brain’s been telling me ice cream is good since I had my tonsils out in first grade (actually even before that).

But it took scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry in London to determine that this enjoyable feeling is, in fact, rooted in reality. Scientists at the Institute have demonstrated that ice cream has the ability to stimulate the pleasure zones in the brains of those who savor it. Using before-and-after tests, scientists showed an immediate effect on parts of the brain known to activate when people enjoy themselves, including the orbitofrontal cortex, considered the “processing” area at the front of the brain.

After the more-than-willing participants ate vanilla ice cream, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect regions in the brain affected by changes in levels of blood oxygenation. These changes indicated enjoyment — similar to the pleasure experienced by people who have just won a jackpot or are listening to their favorite music.