Chocolate is one of the world’s favorite things. It’s way beyond just a treat. It’s unimaginable, even, to know there’s chocolate in the pantry and just ignore it. Why can’t we just resist its allure? Why can’t we do without it? The psychology behind these intense chocolate cravings is becoming more and more controversial a topic for researchers.

Dr. Amy Jo Stavnezer, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, can give some explanation for the existence of such cravings. “The experience of eating chocolate releases dopamine in particular brain regions. That same dopamine is released during sex, laughter and other activities that are enjoyable. Moreover, the frontal lobe creates a memory of this experience, so whenever people think of chocolate, the brain craves for that same experience again.”, she says.

The release of dopamine as one eats chocolate has been established, but Dr. Philip K. Wilson believes there’s more to it. He claimed that commercial chocolates have more than 500 kinds of chemicals. That said, it’s not simple to put a finger on which one is connected to a particular psychological function. Further research is called for. (Sign me up!)

In one experiment, a group of chocolate lovers was given a Hershey bar, capsules with Hershey cocoa powder, a white chocolate confection, and a white chocolate bar. They were required to eat these products at separate cravings in a specific order, and then they would have to rate the decrease in their craving after 90 minutes.

Turns out, the Hershey bar was the most effective one in terms of satisfying chocolate cravings and such participants had a 61% decrease in their chocolate cravings. White chocolate only yielded into a 42% decrease and cocoa capsules have been found to be least effective as they only yielded a 16% decrease in the cravings.

Basically this all means that chocolate cravings are impacted by many different aspects of eating chocolate--such as its taste, the mouth feel as it melts, and the smell of cocoa. It’s always best to take your time when eating chocolate to get the best experience and to satisfy cravings with lesser amounts of chocolate.

Yes, chocolate cravings may be explained by science, but is there any way to suppress these feelings? That, we have yet to find out.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014