As I sit here eating a whole bag or snickers bars contemplating what to write my next blog entry on I think to myself… is chocolate good for us? According to the article chocolate contains a chemical that brings us joy called Anandamide. According to CNN our brain makes Anandamide on its own to block any pain or depression. The Anandamide that we receive from chocolate stays in our system longer than it does when our brain makes it. According to CNN chocolate releases something that creates craving in our minds, this is the same effect that cocaine does to our body. Another Neurotransmitter that the brain releases is Phenylethylamine which is also known as a love drug. For more effects of these releases in your brain dark chocolate has more of an effect that milk chocolate. According to the article some people who proclaim themselves as chocoholics believe that eating any amount of chocolate can lower BP and the risk of heart disease. Reading this news is such a positive feeling for me considering I truly believe that I could live on only chocolate foods and drinks.
Depending on how the chocolate was made and if it is dark chocolate ( healthiest for you), milk chocolate (less healthy), or white chocolate (not actually made from cocoa or considered real chocolate) has more or less antioxidants if it was made chemically or naturally.
Picture found here
I can totally relate to you on feeling like you could live on purely chocolate! I always find myself eating chocolate to calm me down when I’m stressing, eating chocolate for a snack, and adding chocolate to basically everything. Hearing that it could be good for me is music to my ears. Of course, nothing is good for you when its too excessive but still, this snack being beneficial is an ideal situation. When Andrew talked in class about the correlation between chocolate consumption and nobel prizes I started to look into this idea more myself as well. I think it is a really interesting idea that I look forward to learning more about so hopefully they will continue to test these hypotheses. I found this cool article that you might want to check out! It explains more about how chocolate can be making us smarter and even has some awesome chocolate cake recipes at the end!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/12187042/Chocolate-makes-you-smarter-study-suggests.html not sure if that link is working so here it is!
This post really highlights the importance of moderation. Most food items have their costs and benefits for the body in nutrients. Chocolate has many ingredients that can improve health especially mental health. I found an article that explains how chocolate improves overall mood and mental function.
chocolate=happiness
This is such a fun topic! I love chocolate so much so it’s great to know that I don’t need to feel as guilty when I eat it. My sister struggled with depression for a period of her life and chocolate use to always make her feel a little better which is consistent with the studies you were talking about. We always use to joke about chocolate making her feel better as a placebo effect but know I now, and will tell my family, that it actually works! I’ll definitely be texting my mom to have her send me chocolate in the next care package.
I loved this topic! Glad to know that I don’t have to feel too bad about my choices when I decide to scarf down some chocolate. It comes as no surprise that the chemicals it releases make someone happier, because it certainly does that for me. The “love drug” aspect was also interesting, considering we see it portrayed that way in the media. I found a site that describes other health tips in relation to candy (http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/candy-facts/?page=1).
I was drawn to this post as soon as i saw the word “chocolate.” Personally, I believe chocolate is good for ME in so many ways, and it makes complete sense now that I know it has connections to a neurotransmitter that has to do with joy. If i stressed, I crave chocolate. If I’m bored, I crave chocolate. Any time after i exercise, I crave chocolate. All of these times deal with being worn out, whether that be emotionally or physically, so it makes sense that all i want is some joy!! (chocolate)
Of course, anything is good in moderation, and I think thats one of the most important thing to remember when we are considering if something is healthy for us or not. However, a little bit of dark chocolate is DEFINITELY something your body wants in its life every now and then… here is an article to explain why 🙂
https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/
Thanks,
Daniele
As a chocolate lover I was intrigued by this article. I have always heard of chocolate increasing your endorphins, but I was unaware that it was due to Anandamide. It’s interesting to think that there are foods such as chocolate that can bring you joy. If everyone were to incorporate chocolate into their diets, would it decrease feelings such as pain and depression? Those are two serious issues that people in America deal with on a daily basis and it’s crazy to think about the possibility that something as simple as eating chocolate could help reduce someone’s pain or depression.
This article was interesting for me because my mom works for Hershey’s Foods, so I am always surrounded with new products that have yet to come out in stores. There are some health benefits to eating chocolates, but they are all if you eat chocolate in moderation. This is critical because of the amount of sugars that are in chocolate, which if you eat too much of, can lead to lots of health risks. If chocolate is eaten in moderation, some health benefits can be obtained, some are listed here.
Personally, I love dark chocolate, so it is good to hear that a certain amount could be considered healthy for me. An article i found about dark chocolate, talks about many other benefits not mentioned in your article about how it is a good source of antioxidants and raises HDL. However, I am glad you brought up the healthy benefits of chocolate that people don’t think about. https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/