Valentine’s Day is around the corner and according to the National Confectioners Association in Santa Barbara, California each year particulary over this period Americans spend over $1.1 billion on candy, 75% of which is chocolate.
So what’s the deal with chocolate? Most women say they love it, some even claim it’s better than sex. Not really something men would state I guess, or at least not so openly. A brief research conducted by Dr. Andrew Scott, a student at UCL London reveals that it’s suspected phenylethylamine which is one of the compounds found in cocoa causes an emotional high similar to being in love. It stimulates the nervous system and increases the heart rate and blood pressure.
A chemical also known to be released in the brain when eating chocolate is serotonin, which gives a sense of well-being. Chocolate also helps women relieve stress and get in a romantic mood, which normally results in more sensual and passionate sex.
So should chocolate be classified as a drug or food? and is it just women who posses this craving?
Personally I believe it is neither of the two, and in spite of what some people claim it is in no way addictive. It’s the combination of sugar and fat which makes the flavor of chocolate so desirable not the compounds it contains.
Similarly men crave for sugar and fat occasionally. Perhaps not as often as women who due to their menstrual cycle end up with a frequent hormone imbalance, this creates the famous mood swings and that is when the craving reaches its peak. Most men wouldn’t admit that they sometimes crave chocolate as well, the reason is that it can be interpreted as a weakness, which is obviously something men desperately attempt to obscure.
There’s clearly something sensual about chocolate, probably the fact that it melts at just above body temperature. However, next time your date, boyfriend or husband offers you chocolate know that there could very well be an underlying reason.
Oh, wow...you reminded me of something that I was thinking about a couple of days ago. In Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji", Genji actually tricks the young woman that he likes by giving her "betrothal sweets". She has no idea what they were, and burst into tears when she found out that she was then bound to Genji because of her sweet tooth.
ReplyDeleteI think that chocolate is a stimulant in the chemical sense, but we've also given it so many associations with pleasure, abandon, and luxury. Look at the boom in gourmet chocolate in the last few years. Chocolate is almost part of a story, in that way; people see it, and instantly a flush of pleasure and imagination wells up. It's escape; it's a memory of the cute guy from high school who surprised you on Valentine's Day with a treat.
At any rate, I must be a freak. I'm not much on chocolate, hahaha! Keeps my girlish bod in check.
"...what they ARE". Sigh. That'll learn me. :P
ReplyDeleteLaBelle(shortened)- I must be a freak too since I can do without the chocolate. My husband on the other hand absolutely loves the stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh, and if people/women think chocolate is sometimes better than sex, well, someone is obviously not doing what needs to be done.
BTW, enjoy this blog.
I'm with LaBelle and Suzette. Chocolate really isn't my treat of choice and my sister absolutely hates the stuff.
ReplyDeleteI agree with LaBelle's assessment that it's more the associations we've given chocolate that make it what it is more than it's addiction. That and the fact that it melts, like you pointed out.
Well, I absolutely adore GOOD chocolate. And if it comes from Godiva...served with a fine red wine? I'll race through dinner just to get my greedy hands on dessert.
ReplyDeleteI've also noticed that it's a "comfort food" at the clinic. If we're having a stressful day, invariably someone will announce, "It's time for a chocolate break!" and we all converge on the candy drawer like raptors.
I really don't care for sweets of any kind but I occasionally like a bit of chocolate. the last man to send me chocolate lives two states away.- darn it! As you said it does make you feel better through it's effect on the brain.
ReplyDeleteMen will try lots of things to get/keep their women in a good mood.
I will pass up the milk chocolate, but I like fine dark chocolate and hot chocolat served in the morning, the way they do in Europe. These things are little pleasures, to help one enjoy life. American chocolate seems to have a lot more sugar in it, so the actual chocolate flavor gets a bit lost I think.
ReplyDeleteThat it melts at just above body temperature I had never thought of. That could get quite interesting. Hmmm... now you have my creative writers brain thinking....
hmm
I haven't had chocolate in 3 years. I used to love it, but for health reasons I stopped cold turkey. And it wasn't really a big deal. But I never thought it was better than sex ;)
ReplyDeleteI like chocolate. Is it better than sex??? Depends on the guy or umm chocolate I guess. lol. Chocolate also contains caffeine, another stimulant. I used to work in a store that sold chocolate. There are lots of varieties around thats for sure. Most chocolate contains wax of some sort. But most premium chocolates do not. And believe it or not, those without wax have a far better taste than those that do.
ReplyDeleteEver try chocolate body paint????? A solution that you can have your chocolate and eat it too. Plus it can lead to some great sex.
Personally I love chocolate!It helps relieve stress,tastes great and puts me in a better mood.
ReplyDeleteValentines day is right around the corner.No better way to celebrate romance than chocolate roses and Hershey's chocolate kisses.hint hint Andrei;)
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