“Give me more chocolate!” (An Easter special)
Ever since the dawn of chocolate in Mesoamerica almost 4000
years ago, it has been no secret that the stuff makes you feel good. Chocolate
was first drunk as a beverage by the Olmec people of Mexico around 1900BC1,
possibly for medicinal purposes. It remained native to South America until the
15th century, when it eventually spread to Europe. By this time
people valued chocolate so much that cacao beans were used as currency!
Nowadays, needless to say, chocolate is a big hit worldwide:
the average British person consumes 10.2kg each year2, and the
figure is higher in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Ireland. Today being
Easter Sunday, no doubt many of us will be shamelessly tucking into chocolate
eggs. What is it about this delicious treat that makes us tick?
To quote the beloved fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka:
“Chocolate contains a property that triggers the release of endorphins. Gives
one the feeling of being in love.” The active ingredient to which Wonka is
referring, known as theobromine3, does indeed cause the brain to
secrete these feel-good hormones, and is regarded as the main reason why eating
chocolate makes us feel great. Chocolate also stimulates the production of
serotonin4, a chemical which boosts happiness.
A further ingredient in chocolate, anandamide, has been
shown to work by activating the same brain region as the active ingredient in
cannabis5. But don’t panic – that doesn’t mean eating chocolate will
make you high! The levels of anandamide in chocolate are considered too low to
have a noticeable effect (unless you were to eat several pounds of chocolate –
not advisable!)
Our brain’s reward pathway system can also be held
accountable. What is the reward pathway system, I hear you ask? Certain things
necessary for our survival trigger a rewarding feeling in our brain, a system
which has evolved to help us to survive and reproduce by motivating us to
repeat the action as often as possible. Sex is one example: essential for us to
reproduce and pass down our genes, sex stimulates a pleasurable feeling which
makes us want more. Eating has the same effect, and energy-rich foods such as
chocolate trigger the pathway more than others6 (I for one don’t
find that brussel sprouts have this euphoric effect).
Apart from improving our mood, chocolate has been shown to
have numerous health benefits (in moderation, of course). For example,
chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels
in the blood3, and also replenishes minerals such as magnesium4,
restoring the body’s optimal function during menstruation, for example. These
health benefits are greater in chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa. Furthermore,
it has been shown that the link between chocolate and acne is merely a myth3
(phew!).
Before concluding, I feel obliged to add that the above does
not mean we should all stuff our faces with as much chocolate as we wish all
the time – the sugar and fat content can of course lead to problems such as
diabetes and obesity – however, perhaps it will make you feel less guilty about
indulging yourself at this festive time of year. On that note, I wish you
readers a very happy Easter, and please, comment away!
6.
The Biochemist, Vol.35 No 6, Gluttony (p4-9)
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