Science of the Chocolate Addiction Factor
Welcome back!
Hi, my name’s Deborah, and I’m a chocoholic. Some of us dream about it, crave it, and even binge and gorge on it. Some say a morsel of fine chocolate is better than sex. We shower a mate or date with chocolate as a gift of love or seduction.
Photo Kerri Langford
So why does chocolate hold such high prestige to us, and what drives our cravings for it?
Some feel it contains mind altering elements that affect our moods and emotions. Devour it, and chocolate’s psychoactive compounds produce warm and fuzzy feelings, compelling us to want all the more.
Photo Scaramouch
Photo Hodge Podge
However, Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology from Bristol University, has conducted research that suggests this isn’t the case, reports BBC News.
To test chocolate’s feel-good power, he gave volunteers tasteless capsules. Some were filled with cocoa powder. Since they contained a higher concentration of these ‘mood-enhancing chemicals’, they should have had a perceptible effect on the volunteers. Other capsules were filled with nothing but starch.
“We tested how they were feeling afterwards — did they feel a buzz or an elevated mood after eating the cocoa?” said Professor Rogers. “The volunteers did say that they felt a bit more alert and stimulated — but not euphoric. We think any slight stimulation is (down to) the caffeine.”
Professor Rogers stated that other research had also suggested chocolate’s chemical make-up was not the culprit for our lust for it. “It doesn’t stack up.” he said.
“A lot of those substances are in other foods that do not have the same appeal as chocolate. Also, the concentration seems too low for them to be having an effect, especially in milk chocolate.”
Instead, he feels that chocoholics were just that because their favorite food was often considered “naughty but nice”. He said, “The nice bit is its sweet taste, lovely melt-in-the-mouth texture, and our associations that we have in our food culture — we use it as a gift, a reward and as something to treat ourselves with — which gives it extra appeal.”
“On the negative side, it is something we shouldn’t eat too much of, it’s not a staple food in our diet, it is relatively high in fat and sugar, and therefore potentially unhealthy.”
“It is this that makes us want it so much. We are wrestling with the desire to eat it because it is so nice, but we restrain ourselves, because we perceive eating it as being naughty. And this unfulfilled desire was experienced as a craving, which in turn is attributed to addiction.” said Professor Rogers. Photo top Tasveersaz, bottom Dickson Wong
“Attitudes towards chocolate around the world also backed up this idea that our want for chocolate stems from the values we place upon it.” he added. “In the US, a survey of women showed that they mostly craved chocolate at certain points in their menstrual cycle, while in Spain, women said they wanted to eat it most after dinner. It is explained by culture and not chemistry.”
So how can we break this lust for chocolate that might simply be psychosomatic?
Professor Rogers suggests thinking about a piece of fruit whenever you think about chocolate, in attempt to transfer cravings to a healthier alternative. He said if chocolate consumption is moderate, try to enjoy the experience of eating it rather than feeling bad about it to break the naughty-but-nice cycle.
Nevertheless, Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at Queen Mary, University of London, claims that eating chocolate can aid to a healthy heart. But not just any old chocolate — fresh cocoa beans are a rich source of a chemical called flavinoid which has been known to protect cardiovascular systems.
But by the time cocoa beans make their way into chocolate bars, only a minute amount of flavinoids remain after being lost through the manufacturing process. Most products contain very little cocoa and large amounts of sugar and fat.
Professor Roger Corder said to get the best possible heart-boosting effects, the chocolate needs to contain about 
75-85% cocoa solids, and you need a daily intake of about 25 grams.
Well I have a newsflash for Professor Peter Rogers. Sometimes we crave foods simply because it tastes delish. Give me a dinner of king crab legs and top it off with a fine chocolate dessert, and I’m in my element! Plying oneself with a little chocolate therapy goes a long way to having a great time. Guilty pleasure has nothing to do with it — there are enough things we do to feel naughty about without having to taint chocolate with the same brush.
And to Professor Roger Corder? I raise my chocolate truffle to you. Salude!
Photo top Pianoforte, bottom Monkey Pushover Tree
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Just reading this article made me gain 2 pounds. It goes on so easy but comes off only with sacrifice and hard work. Such a dilemma.
But, my favorite thing of all with chocolate, is to melt a tasty batch. Then I dip sweet, ripe, red strawberries into it. Cool them in the fridge and eat them in utter guilty pleasure.
In this way, I usually only binge once a year. In the spring when the strawberries come in season. But, I might just have to experiment with that Monkey Pushover tree.
well Deborah…I have a weakness for rocky road….and strawberries dipped in chocolate…..is a close second……but then I love Swiss chocolate……and Belgian chocolate…and dark chocolate…..oh dear I could go on forever…….and reading your post has got me craving it……and not a speck in the house ….ahhh I’ll go and have a hot chocolate
Fantastic post, Deborah. ^5!
I avoid chocolate not because of its flavor or high fat content. It doesn’t go well with my digestive tract and leaves it feeling unsettled. It’s been like that since I was a youngster.
Other than that, I prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate although I like both. If I could only can get my tummy digest the chocolate nicely, it would be on!
Mmmm, strawberries with melted chocolate … I wouldn’t have the restraint to wait for them to chill Nitropuppy
Swiss, Belgian, and dark chocolate … some of my faves too Kim, especially dark chocolate. I always have a stash of chocolate in the house, usually some Lindt chocolates, one of my faves. Regular chocolate bars are for times of desperation when nothing else is available, haha.
Thanks Saboma
You poor thing, what a curse! Does it have anything to do with diary, or is it the coacoa? I feel for ya!
I’m not understanding the term ‘diary’ unless that was the often misspelled word,’diarrhea’. If that is what you meant, then no. It doesn’t have an effect like that on me. My stomach feels ‘quishy,’ if that helps any. I’m not sure why that is but it is what it is so I just avoid it. I can eat ice cream and drink strong coffee all day long. Heck when I drank alcohol, I had no problems with creme de cocoa or anything else. I simply have a problem eating chocolate candy bars and it doesn’t matter which kind. I don’t process almond bark very well, either.
Sorry Saboma, fumble fingers
I meant to say ‘dairy’, but you’ve already elaborated on that. And it’s not the caffeine, so it boils down to the coacoa and its intensity level.
All this talk about chocolate dipped strawberries has my mouth watering. They’re one of my very favorite desserts!!!
Mine too Education blogger
And it’s a constant reminder each time I answer a comment or see this post, haha!
i love chocolet under , i love chocolet not you i do. I really love it with starberries.
i love chocolate its my favourite especially galaxy bar its delish yem yem hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
i love chocolate its my favorite special the chocolate. i miss my chocolate:)
i am doing a science assessment on “is chocolate addictive” and your post has helped me a lot! thanks
also, do you have any points on how chocolate might not be addictive? thankyou again, 