Why do we love chocolate?
There are many answers to this question, but some of the most common ones are:
– It tastes so good or
– Unique taste of pleasure or
– It’s a beautiful feeling or
– The moment in which I forget everything but myself and my five minutes of fun or…
Have you ever wondered where all those delicate notes that make chocolate just as irresistible as it is?
The obvious answer to this question would be that all those notes come from chocolate. However, the answer is not so simple. In addition to chocolate, some other factors are at play and have a greater or lesser effect on the flavors that make chocolate the queen of treats. It might be best to say that there is some secret connection, a mysterious connection between chocolate and chemistry.
Do we have a good reason to love chocolate?
Of course, the answer is one big Yes 😊 …
You have probably heard many times by now that numerous inventions were discovered entirely by accident. That’s right, in one of our studies, we also happened to come across a 1983 book called “The Chemistry of Love” by Michael Libowitz. What we found particularly interesting was how the author explained the bonds of love and chocolate. That is why, in this text, we explain how chocolate affects our brains and what are the chemical compounds that make us feel so good while enjoying our favorite treat.
Chocolate has almost 380 different compounds that, while we enjoy it, affect our brains and produce those subtle moments of happiness and pleasure. This is an excellent time to introduce some of them.
Theobromine
It is an alkaloid found in cocoa and chocolate and is a very potent diuretic. However, its most beneficial effect on our body is that it is a vasodilator. In simple terms, it dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow. Higher blood flow makes our mind sharper and more focused on stress protection.
Phenylethylamine
A popular name for this compound is chocolate amphetamine. This chemical compound affects the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps us create a sense of satisfaction. Also, it has a calming and antidepressant effect on our bodies.
Tryptophan and serotonin
We assume that most of these are known compounds in that they create a sense of relaxation, pleasure, and happiness.
Caffeine
This is a psychoactive substance known to create temporary alertness. This might be a reason why students love chocolate.
Xanthine
This compound can be said to be very similar in effect to caffeine. It is known as a natural alertness that increases alertness.
Anandamide
A compound from a group of neurotransmitters responsible for the activation of pleasure receptors in the brain.
Flavonols
We ended up leaving these compounds that improve blood flow in certain parts of our brain. The result of such an increase in blood flow is similar to the intake of aspirin or other mild analgesics.
Everything is clear now, and it’s easy to see why our brains crave chocolate so much.
We end this text with a quote from renowned food researcher Michael Levin: “Chemically speaking, chocolate is truly the world’s perfect food!”
Have you ever wondered if you were addicted to chocolate? Whatever your answer is, it is a real moment to improve your knowledge. We wrote the text Is it possible to become chocolate addicted?
