Posted by IsoM on April 5, 2002, at 1:43:49
In reply to chocolate craving biochemical?, posted by KB on April 2, 2002, at 20:59:37
I thought I'd let others explain as I can run on too much but here's some science behind it.
Chocolate candy isn't good for the teeth (all that sugar) but it contains an anti-bacterial chemical that will stop the bacteria. All that sugar doesn't help though.
Chocolate contains a small amount of a brain chemical called phenylethylamine (PEA). Whether it makes it from our digestive tract into our brain remains to be tested because cheddar cheese & pickled herring also contains PEA & nobody claims to be addicted to those foods. PEA releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Maybe eating cheddar cheese or pickled herring may make a person feel good too, just never tested. I know I love pickled herring! Anway, the amount found in chocolate isn't enough to cause any real euphoria but may be enough to make a person feel a little happier.
Chocolate is also a very good source of magnesium, a mineral used in many enzymatic body reactions. Magnesium & vitamin B6 work hand-in-hand.
Chocolate has anti-oxidants in it - a number of phenolic compounds. Eating chocolate IS good for a person, it's the sugars & fats that aren't. Combine them & the good effects tend to get cancelled out. You could always eat it the way Mexican people do as a mole sauce for meats. No sugar is used in that way.
poster:IsoM
thread:101574
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020402/msgs/101935.html