It is one of the most popular sweets of all time. Women crave it, men treasure it, and Aztec kings are said to have been the first to eat it. But why do we love chocolate so much? The following are just a few of the reasons why chocolate is so popular and why you shouldn’t give it up entirely, even if you’re on a diet!
Melts in your mouth: Chocolate contains fat, that’s no surprise. The cocoa butter in the chocolate gives it a rich, creamy consistency that also perfectly conveys the cocoa flavor. It also has a melting point that is a bit lower than the average human body temperature, giving you that melt-in-your-mouth feeling every time you pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth. Chocolate lovers often describe this melting sensation as a true moment of ecstasy.
The right chemistry – According to a study conducted at the University of Michigan in the United States, chocolate contains chemicals called opioids. Opioids are also found in opium and serve to relieve pain and give a sense of well-being to people who take them. According to the study, people who eat chocolate produce natural opiates in the brain that calm the nerves and make them feel good. When the receptors that detect opiates were blocked, that desire for chocolate decreased.
Chocolate also naturally contains “highs” like caffeine, sugars, and phenylthalamin, which will make your heart beat a little harder, your breathing a little faster, and give you a feeling of alertness. The effect is not dramatic enough to be uncomfortable for most people; it is mild enough to produce a pleasant “high”, which is often equated with the feeling of being in love.
Chocolate equals love – Speaking of love, the association might not be completely physiological. Women crave chocolate more often than men. Women also often receive chocolate as a birthday and Valentine’s gift. In our culture, chocolate is considered a romantic gift. It is outside the realm of mundane day-to-day food, reserved for special occasions and, especially for women, associated with love and romance. That could be another reason why women particularly love chocolate: deep down, it makes them feel loved, cared for, and pampered.
It really is good for you: Recent studies suggest that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains chemicals that reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The flavonoids and antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to make a difference in cardiovascular health. Until recently, tea was considered the main source of these chemicals. Scientists now recommend that you have a chocolate chip cookie or biscuit with your tea so your body gets more of those life-extending chemicals. Don’t drink milk with your dark chocolate, though: The same studies show that milk can cancel out the healthy effects of eating chocolate by preventing those helpful chemicals from being fully absorbed into the body.
Chocolate contains fats and sugars that you shouldn’t eat a lot of, but as long as you eat it in moderation, science suggests it can add as much as a year to your life.
It’s great for your sex life – Since the time of the Aztecs, people believed that chocolate has aphrodisiac properties. But there may be a deeper truth to those old legends. Recent studies have shown that women who eat a little chocolate a day have significantly more sex than women who don’t. This could be due to those brain-soothing chemicals found in chocolate, and which chocolate stimulates the brain to release more of as it is eaten. Chocolate just makes us feel good, which is a key ingredient for a healthy sex life.
But there are more creative ways to use chocolate in the bedroom besides eating it. Adventurous and playful couples have incorporated it into the bedroom for years. For sensual pleasure, make a chocolate fondue and feed your loved one strawberries dipped in the sweet sauce. Give your spouse fine chocolates for no reason; they will surely show you their appreciation later. If you’re not afraid to get a little dirty, use chocolate-flavored body lotions and lubricants. You can always share a shower to clean up afterwards!
It is important to remember not to overdo the chocolate. It contains high amounts of saturated fats and sugars that can cause health damage and obesity if you eat too much. However, when eaten in moderate amounts, chocolate can truly be a miracle food. Even better, it tastes wonderful: it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love any kind of chocolate, whether it’s white, dark or milk, Hershey or Belgian. So the next time you have to give something up during Lent or start a new diet, think twice before giving up chocolate. Not only does it taste good, its health benefits give you a great excuse to keep enjoying it.
