We all have own addiction, passion and hobbies. Some can’t get enough of technology, for instance, always in the search for the best spy cameras you can find, others to shopping, gambling and many more. But there’s one thing that almost all of the people in the world love (and probably are addicted to) – chocolates.
Billions of individuals of all ages across the world love chocolates, a sweet delicacy that comes in different shapes and sizes. The sweet, rich, smooth chocolatey taste is nearly powerful that leaves you craving for more. In 2016, a survey conducted discovered that chocolate is ranked number 16 worldwide in the list of the most loved food. It has outranked chips, burgers, fruit, and salad.
Just why is chocolate so loved and enjoyed by billions of individuals around the world? With many saying that chocolate is an aphrodisiac whereas others say it is an antidepressant, it could be tough to determine truth from fiction in terms of the science of the sweet treat.
What Makes the Sweet Treat Very Addictive?
A very thought-provoking theory suggested by a team of scientists who gave the sweet treats to rats suggests that enkephalin, a natural chemical in the brain, might be the explanation to why chocoholics are created. However, researchers discovered that as soon as the rats have eaten the chocolate, levels of enkephalin rose abnormally high. This is noteworthy since enkephalin sets off the receptors of opioid, the exact ones that is triggered by drugs like heroin and morphine. Essentially, consuming chocolate intensifies your enkephalin levels, leading you crave and want to consume more of these sweet treats. In the conducted research, the rats stuffed themselves with chocolates that’s almost 5% of their weight. To an average person, this corresponds to about eating 3.5kg of m&ms. Luckily, it appears like people are less prone to enkephalin compared to rats, however the nasty cycle of addiction is yet noticeably evident in among people in terms of chocolates.
Are Some Types of Chocolates More Addictive Compared to Others?
The study concerning this question is utterly clear. Supposing that the level of enkephalin spike up after consuming chocolate is because of some sort of chemical present in cacao. Dark chocolate, hypothetically, would be more addicting compared to milk chocolate, wherein it has lesser cacao, and white chocolate seeing it has no solid cacao would hardly be addicting at all. But there are other reasons concerning addiction. The fat and sugar content present in white chocolates are much greater than dark chocolate, thus many individuals might find it more tough to break from eating that specific type of chocolate. Nonetheless, your own choice of chocolate is almost certainly causing you your addiction to it.