Chocolate Addiction

Is Chocolate Addiction Real?

Like coffee addiction, chocolate addiction is not taken seriously. Chocolate addiction has been the script for many jokes and even written on t-shirts. One t-shirt says "Give me some chocolate and nobody gets hurt."

The medical professionals are still uncertain whether or not chocolate addiction is real. There are many however that have at least a psychological addiction (if not an actual physical addiction.) There is no question on anyone's part that choclate does contain addictive substances such as sugar, fat, and caffeine.

Chocolate - A girl's bestfriend?

Although it is a popular joke that you can get to any woman’s good side with a box of Godiva or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, women do crave chocolate more than men. This is thought to be due to the hormonal tidal waves women go through every month as part of their normal menstrual cycles. These cravings are especially intense during the pre-menstrual time.

It is also a known scientific fact that chocolate contains similar chemicals that are emitted by the brain when one is in love. Chocolate is also associated with rewards, good times and celebrations in most societies. When someone claims they have a chocolate addiction, they have become dependent on the whole chocolate experience in order to feel good about themselves.

Caution: Chocolate can be harmful to your health

There is no question that chocolate (in any of its forms) is very delicious. Keep in mind though that it is not one of the main food groups and is merely a dessert that should be consumed in small amounts. There are those that do indeed treat chocolate as a major food group by the amount they consume. There are some that eat bags of candybars daily.

Chocolate has alot of fat in it. It does not take very long for one who eats chocolate in excess to become overweight. There are some serious consequences and health risks associated with compulsive chocolate consumption. In addition to obesity those with a chocolate dependency can experience chronic fatigue, mood swings, tooth decay, diabetes, insomsnia and heart problems.

Those that eat large quantities of chocolate daily are consuming caffeine in large quantities as well. Chocolate alone can cause insomnia and fatigue, especially in those that add colas and coffee to their daily routine.