Chocolate is Like Meth
12 Aug
We’ve all heard that chocolate is addicting, but do you know the actual scientific explanation? Dr. Neal Barnard gave a short and sweet (get it?) explanation in one of his books explaining that chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine (caffeine-like substance) and phenylethylamine which is an like amphetamine, working like an opiate in the human body. So put those things together and you get a substance that has real addicting properties in it!
Studies have show that when people were given opiate blockers (like naloxone which is given to drug addicts) the volume of chocolate in which they were given to consume lessened and they simply didn’t desire the want or need to eat it.
This of course makes me think: don’t take naloxone.
Geneen Roth writes a regular column on Good Housekeeping and recently was given the hypothetical choice between hot water and sex. Sex lost. Given the choice between hot water and laughter, she chose to go without hot water. Much to her What was really fortunate was that chocolate wasn’t a part of that equation. Admitting to consuming one piece of 77% percent bittersweet every day after lunch, Geneen admits that previously a fear of over consuming and giving herself what she loved.
In this case, one of those things was chocolate.
The lesson here is that chocolate really does have addicting properties making it very easy to overindulge and at the same time gives us an excuse. Which isn’t a good idea, even for someone with a chocolate obsession. As with most things in life, moderation seems to be the key. Ms. Roth suggests that denying yourself isn’t the answer and I concur. Just enjoy that chocolate, one bite at a time, and watch the number of bites!
August 13th, 2008 at 11:26 am
love it! Dr. Barnard is the man. I’ve heard that cheese has the same opiate effect as chocolate. Common substitutes (soy cheese and carob) are absolutely no equal to the real thing. Part of me wonders if it’s not only the taste, but also the lack of those properties that make them unappealing to most people.
Anyway, go for the real deal regarding chocolate. If the caloric fat is an issue, try cocoa powder in homemade goods instead- that will give you the flavor and control over what else is paired with it. The old standby of using apple sauce instead of oil works really well in most cases!