Chocolate Is a Health Food For Your Brain. Here’s why.

Great article by Kristen Coveleskie on Chocolate … and the ways that this wonderful food (isn’t it its own food group??) acts like a drug that is actually very, very good for your brain!!


(please share this with anyone who loves chocolate … yeah right!)  


While thinking of things to put in a gift basket for a friend who was in the hospital, my roommate turned to me with some of her German chocolates and inquired if indeed it was true that chocolate makes a person happy. 


“It has something to do with endorphins in the brain, right?” she asked me. I decided to do some research. Does chocolate make you happy by effecting the brain? Intrigued, I turned to the Internet and searched for “chocolate on the brain.” 


Lo and behold, I discovered that the over 300 chemicals that compose chocolate have numerous and varied effects on our bodies through the nervous system (1). Chocolate can affect the brain by causing the release of the neurotransmitters that transmit signals between neurons.  


“Happy neurotransmitters” 
… like endorphins and other opiates can help to reduce stress and lead to feelings of euphoria. The proper neurotransmitter can trigger certain emotions. It turns out that my roommate was correct in her assertion that chocolate affects the levels of endorphins in the brain. 


Eating chocolate increases the levels of endorphins released into the brain, giving credence to the claim that chocolate is a comfort food. The endorphins work to lessen pain and decrease stress (2). Another common neurotransmitter affected by chocolate is serotonin. Serotonin is known as an anti-depressant. One of the chemicals which causes the release of serotonin is tryptophan found in, among other things, chocolate (1).


Chocolate Amphetamine
One of the more unique neurotransmitters released by chocolate is phenylethylamine. This so called “chocolate amphetamine” causes changes in blood pressure and blood-sugar levels leading to feelings of excitement and alertness (1) (3). Phenylethylamine is also called the “love drug” because it causes your pulse rate to quicken, resulting in a similar feeling to when someone is in love (4).


Theobromine is another chemical found in chocolate that can affect the nervous system. Besides having properties that can lead to mental and physical relaxation, it also acts as a stimulant similar to caffeine. Some scientists believe that it is the less potent theobromine which is solely responsible for the caffeine-like effects (5).


Chocolate has a long history associated with feelings of well being. It has been favored by people ranging from the ancient Aztecs to high society Victorians to Popes. Chocolate also has a history of being a known aphrodisiac (6). This makes sense when you combine phenylethylamine’s ability to quicken the heart, the feelings of euphoria from anandamide, theobromine’s power to cause relaxation, and the other neurotransmitters sending pleasurable feelings throughout the brain. Even the names associated with chocolate imply its power. Anandamide is derived form the word ananda which is Sanskrit for bliss and theobromine can be traced back to the Greek word theobroma meaning “food of the gods” (6).
I think it is quite fascinating that a food such as chocolate can have such an effect on the operations of our brain and thus our perceptions of the world. Since I met my roommate over a year ago, I have significantly increased my chocolate intake. I also think I’m a happier person than I was before we met. 


Could it be that the chocolate I consume now almost on a daily basis has something to do with my subtle transformation in mood? I would like to think not, but it is an interesting thought. I do, however, instinctively find myself reaching over to the chocolate stash whenever I start feeling a little depressed or overwhelmed and it always seems to make me feel better.

References

1)BBC News ,
2)“Endorphins: The Body’s Stress Fighters” ,
3)http://www.chocolate.org/refs/index.html,
4)“All About Chocolate: Chocolate and your Health” ,
5)http://www.mrkland.com/fun/xocoatl/index.htm#SEL,
6) “Chocolate: Melting the Myths” ,
7) Neuroscience for Kids-Chocolate and the Nervous System , 
 For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website.