Chocolate - Addictive Pleasure

carlos-cabeza (68)in #health • 7 years ago

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For many people enjoying a delicious piece of chocolate is priceless, its unique taste, its texture and the incredible feeling of well-being that awakens in us has been for years an extremely pleasurable experience.

The preference for chocolate and the need to consume this delicious sweet we owe it to our ancestors since we evolved as a species hunter and gatherer of food. In this process it took great effort and potential energy expenditure that most of the cases were wasted, because not all the time was successful.

Therefore, high-fat foods were an essential part of our diet, for the purpose of resisting long periods of time without food. All this explains why today's humans love high-fat foods, and although today we should not wait long between meals our need to consume this type of food was inherently inherent in our daily diet.

Is Chocolate Addictive??

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There are many studies that try to show that certain foods high in fat and sugar can lead to addiction, but there is no evidence specific to chocolate addiction. The addiction to sugar has been demonstrated in different researches and certainly chocolate also has many chemicals that stimulate the brain and that could generate a behavior dependent on the human being.

Like many drugs, chocolate stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin responsible for the feelings of happiness in our brain, this occurs to a lesser extent than illicit drugs and the physiological impact produced by abstinence is also much less.

However, it is very likely that a person dependent or addicted to chocolate have episodes of psychological depression or anxiety when not being able to eat their "dose" of chocolate when the body requires it. That's why some people with this behavior feel like they're in the middle of an addiction.

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In several studies conducted at Yale University, they showed that people with addictive behavior experienced a surge of activity in the part of the brain that regulates cravings and rewards, and when these people start to consume chocolate that activity was reduced in areas of the brain Which control impulses to seek rewards. This pattern of brain activity is similar to that of people addicted to drugs.

Similarly, some studies have led to the contention that women are more susceptible to creating dependence on chocolate, and their desires occur in a monthly cycle, which leads to suppose hormonal intervention in the equation. It has also been determined that the symptoms of people with emotional disorders and food irregularities reinforce the addiction to chocolate. The body seeks to compensate for those episodes of anxiety with the activation of substances in the brain that make them feel better.

Beyond these evidences there is no study that conclusively determines that chocolate is a drug, since the same substances that alter our mood and behavior are also found in foods less appetizing, and also in greater quantity, such as the broccoli.

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It is true that the sensory characteristics of chocolate, its nutrients, texture, aroma and chemical compounds when combined with hormonal changes and abnormal moods can explain to a great extent the cravings we have for chocolate.

The need to consume chocolate can also be evidence that our body tries to tell us something, in many cases people addicted to chocolate present with hypoglycemia, a condition in which the body is deficient in sugar and glucose in the blood, which Produces a drop in energy and the need to find a source that stabilizes those values in the body, and chocolate provides us with that remedy of urgency until the next crisis.

The possible addiction to chocolate could also show high levels of anxiety, looking for a reward that makes us feel better and about carrying these episodes of emotional stress, we seek as an alternative to chocolate that calms anxiety just as cigarette Or biting your nails on some people.

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In the same way, it could be warning us that we need a break, lack of energy means that we need energizers like coffee, sugar or chocolate to keep working.

Depression can also be an indicator that makes us addicted to chocolate, it is well known that the body looking to improve certain states of depression and discouragement finds in chocolate the nutrients that can make them feel better.

On the other hand we can face this "obsession" for chocolate with a few simple tips that we will describe next:

Find out if the craving is emotional: In many occasions we find in the food the solution of a bad day or if we feel depressed, if it is so, it is advisable that you speak of the problem with someone close, because the eating It does not solve anything.
Incorporate small portions of chocolate into your usual diet, instead of restricting it completely: This way you will no longer feel the need to eat chocolate gradually, moderation is the key, and you will stop feeling the urge to eat Because it is no longer prohibitive.
If you feel bored and craving a chocolate: The most appropriate solution is to take a walk, read a book or call a friend and occupy your mind in some other subject that distances your thoughts from food.
Make sure you always have healthy foods nearby: If you feel the need to eat a snack or something sweet it is advisable to always have at hand some healthy food that replaces chocolate, such as fruits or cereals, this balances the sugar in Blood and decreases the likelihood of cravings.
Increase your exercise level: With a good workout routine you burn calories and make us feel and be healthier, it also releases endorphins that counteract anxiety, stress and depression, which we will see diminished The need to eat chocolates.

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Becoming aware of eating chocolate and making sure to eat slowly and aware of what you are doing prolongs the experience and the brain will enjoy that reward, making the taste we are giving at that time does not imply a relationship of dependence to Can feel better.

At any craving for some emotional reason, we must curb that temptation and apply the recommendations explained above. And although chocolate is one of the greatest pleasures of life, we must regulate it so that we do not become an addict of its pleasures.

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