September 2007 - A study by Professor Peter Rogers of Bristol University argues that, while
people readily admit to being "chocoholics", chocolate is not truly addictive and there is an alternative explanation
for this ubiquitous craving.
The study questions the common belief that psychoactive mood-enhancing compounds such as serotonin,
tryptophan, phenylethylamine, tyramine and cannabinoids present in chocolate explain its appeal, pointing out that
many exist in higher concentrations in other foods.
Milk chocolate and chocolate-covered confectionery are craved more than dark chocolate but contain
less cocoa solids and a lower concentration of potentially psychoactive compounds. The study concludes that a liking
for chocolate, and its effects on mood, is far more likely to be due to the nutritional and sensory impact of its
principal constituents, sugar and fat.
Peter Rogers explained:
"A more compelling explanation lies in our ambivalent attitudes towards chocolate; it is highly desired but should be eaten with restraint (nice but naughty). Our unfulfilled desire to eat chocolate, resulting from restraint, is thus experienced as craving, which in turn is attributed to 'addiction'."
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