Speech

Why, Why, WHY Do We Crave Chocolate?

Have you ever wondered why you crave chocolate? There’s more than willpower at stake! Lets face it chocolate lovers crave chocolate that’s why we call ourselves chocolate lovers! But no matter how much we talk about chocolate, we all know the truth, chocolate is okay. All that fat and sugar? Not so much.

Most people who report chocolate cravings are woman (sorry guys, but its true). Some experts suggest that might be due to a link between chocolate “melting in your mouth,” and we’ve all heard of the “Perfect gift,” flowers and chocolates. So why don’t men crave chocolate? Well, how often do you give a man a box of chocolates as a gift? The two most common reasons people give chocolates as a gift are, to show love (usually a man to a woman), and to show appreciation (usually to teachers).

Whether chocolate is physically addictive or simply tastes so good that we develop cultural and behavioural cues that mimic addiction is a matter of some debate. Chocolate contains over 300 distinct chemicals. They play a role in our love for that stuff. Chocolate tastes so dazzling that it is treated like a drug. Its used for depression, for relaxation, and for celebration, because chocolate naturally contains a chemical scientifically proven to send messages to the brain, this message is relevant to happiness, and therefore your brain feels encouraged to consume it again. It also has a legal drug in it called caffeine (which is also found in coffee) that makes you want it so much.

Chocolate was served to the emperor of Aztec as a drink in 1519. In 1529 Cortez brought chocolate to Spain but it was only served to royalty. By 1580 the chocolate beverage was widespread in Spain. By 1615 the chocolate drink was introduced to Italy and Holland. 1657 it arrived in London. 1659 it was now in France. In 1765 the first U.S chocolate factory opened. In 1819 the first commercial eating chocolate was made in Switzerland. In 1828 worlds first chocolate candy, and also coco powder was invented. In 1875the Swiss introduced milk chocolate. By 1904 Mass production of chocolate candy was being made in the U.S.A. By year 2000 chocolate is worth a $60 billion industry worldwide…


So why do people crave chocolate? I don’t know, there are no figures on cravings, but everyone I know loves chocolate, from small amounts to large amounts. I have not found anyone that doesn’t like the littlest amount of chocolate!