Hungry for Chocolate

Filed in archive Nutrition on November 22, 2007

Do you love chocolate? You're definitely not alone. Take, for instance, Deborah, who blogs about being a chocoholic. She has this to say about chocolate:

"Some of us dream about it, crave it, and even binge and gorge on it. Some say a morsel of fine chocolate is better than sex. We shower a mate or date with chocolate as a gift of love or seduction."

People have been eating chocolate for around 3000 years, and, when they discovered it, they were looking for something else entirely. Medical News Today explains.

"But the first people to appreciate the cacao tree were probably after a buzz of another kind - a fermented, winelike drink, research shows - and only later discovered the chocolaty taste we love today. "

Chocolate got a bad reputation because it's fattening, and of course it is when eaten in large quantities. However, used in moderation, chocolate could be beneficial to you health. Wikipedia says:

"Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure."