Chocolate. Luscious, delicious, silky smooth, slightly erotic, simply divine, chocolate. I love chocolate. Such a simple and yet profoundly true statement can be applied to the many incarnations that chocolate takes: chocolate chips, sauces, powders, and drinks; cakes, cookies, ice cream, and candy; sweet, semi-sweet, milk, dark, and bitter; and as a vehicle for raspberries, strawberries, and oranges. For centuries, chocolate has caused many to wax poetic about its virtues, to sing its praises on high, to offer its sweet bitterness to potential lovers.

What is it about chocolate that makes us all feel so good? Is it really a sinful pleasure? Why do we love it so much? Chocolate contains some 380 different chemicals that in certain combinations can change the way we feel. Trace amounts of caffeine combine with theobromine and phenylethylamine, both of which are stimulants. It is partially this combination that gives us the chocolate “high.” There are other chemicals in chocolate that boost our mood. One such chemical is a neurotransmitter known as anandamide. An interesting side note is that our brain naturally produces anandamide. So when we eat our yummy treats, the anandamides are thought to combine with our own, creating another sort of high. Other mood boosting chemicals include serotonin and trpytophan. Is it any wonder that chocolate can bring us to a state of ecstacy?

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