Chocolate Addiction:
Physiological or Psychological?

Never give chocolate to your horse, and most certainly, never give it to your dog!

Read below why giving chocolate to our four-legged friends is a VERY BAD idea

Today, production and consumption of chocolate is a world-wide affair. The average American eats 11.5 pounds of chocolate per year.

Desperately craving chocolate has become a familiar sensation to many inhabitants of the Western world, but can we actually be addicted to it? Can this powerful urge to eat or drink chocolate truly be classed as an addiction?

Why chocolate?

All modern commercial chocolate products contain substantial amounts of sugar. This may partly explain chocolate's supposed addictive properties. Chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins that generate feelings of euphoria and well-being.

Various other chemicals in chocolate may stimulate cravings. Chocolate contains over 300 chemicals and it is not known how most of these affect humans.

Chocolate is a popular comfort food, often used to counteract depression or stress. The question is, do people crave chocolate because their bodies or their minds are addicted to the chemicals in it?

Addictive chemicals in Chocolate

Phenylethylamine is a chemical found in the body that is similar to amphetamine. However, tests have shown that most of the phenylethylamine in chocolate is broken down before it reaches the brain. So, the amount of phenylethylamine that actually reaches the brain and the influence it may have is unknown.

Theobromine is a close structural relative of caffeine, but has only one-tenth the stimulating effect caffeine has. Withdrawal from theobromine has been found to cause migraines. The level of theobromine in commercial chocolate varies from bar to bar. Milk chocolate bars contain the lowest levels of theobromine.

In the mid-nineties a study done by neuroscientist Doniele Piomelli and his co-workers found that chocolate contains substances that mimic the effects of marijuana. He suggests that chocolate works more indirectly to produce its 'high'. Piomelli found that anandamide, produced naturally in the brain and also found in chocolate, activates the same cellular receptors as THC, the agent in marijuana that causes a person to feel "high".

But chocolate does not contain enough anandamide to produce a high like marijuana . Other researchers have found that most of the anandamide found in chocolate is broken down by stomach acid before it even reaches the blood stream.

In addition to marijuana like substances, chocolate also contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid, which plays a role in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is a calming neurotransmitter that makes people feel relaxed and content. Many people eat chocolate to relieve anxiety, but is unlikely that tryptophan is solely responsible for chocolate cravings.

And most importantly, theobromine is poisonous to horses and can kill dogs!

In sufficient amounts, the theobromine is toxic to horses, dogs, parrots and cats (kittens especially) because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate they may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian.

Is it all our imagination?

The results of research about both the physiological and psychological basis of chocolate cravings remains inconclusive. It is most likely a combination of both. Although there are similarities between eating chocolate and drug use, generally researchers believe that chocolate addiction is not a real addiction. (they should get out more)

While chocolate does contain potentially mood-altering substances, these are all found in higher concentrations in other less appealing foods such as broccoli. The combination of chocolate’s sensory characteristics (its sweetness, texture and aroma), the chemicals it contains and the hormonal and mood changes it provokes is likely to explains chocolate cravings.

Recent research have shown that psychoactive drugs are associated with the formation and reinforcement of unusual neurotransmitter pathways in the brain.

So it's just possible that, with chocolate every binge, your brain is being gradually reprogrammed in order to make you crave chocolate even more!

It looks like the old adage of "everything in moderation" is true for chocolate as well. If you really can't resist chocolate, stick to dark. It's higher in cocoa content than milk chocolate and helps to increase levels of HDL, the type of cholesterol that helps prevent fat clogging up arteries.

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