Insights:Women n Such: What is it about chocolate?

Chocolate was coined ‘food of the gods’ for a good reason, and who knows better than the female species? We crave this ‘drug’ so much that I have recently put on two kilos thanks to my daily consumption of this stuff! I know, I know; chocolate on Valentine’s Day makes us feel loved and special but if you are anything like me, you don’t have to wait for February to be showered with chocolatey-affection and you regularly treat yourself a little more than is good for the waistline. But the Valentine-chocolate affair is not incidental: chocolate contains phenylethylamine-a chemical that is released in the brain when we fall in love. In addition to this, you won’t believe this: doctors at the European Society for Sexual Medicine in London discovered that there is a scientific link between chocolate and sex. Women who eat chocolate regularly have a better sex life than those who do not because chocolate has a positive physiological impact on a woman’s sexuality. In fact they think it could be medicinal for women suffering from premenstrual tension. Now you have no reasons left to guilt-trip yourself! You might also like the fact that dark chocolate has proven to be good for you; it contains chemicals and antioxidants that lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. So unlike sweets that are packed with sugar and fat that beeline straight to your belly, chocolate has some health benefits. Do not take this to heart, however, and make a diet of it because it still contains sugar and fats and if consumed in excess will cause obesity. I have always wondered: is chocolate gender sensitive? Why are we crazier about it than men are? I have never given chocolate for Valentine’s Day and no man has thrown tantrums about it. Apparently it is indeed gender sensitive. Psychologists at UW-Madison found that even female rats have a stronger craving for the bean than males do and this may be linked to the female’s cyclic hormonal changes. The amygdala that regulates positive and negative emotions, as well as sexual behaviour and desire is affected by the consumption of chocolate in women-perhaps why our behavioural and physiological responses differ. That explains it… Well, at least now you know that ‘you can have your chocolate and eat it’! Random facts: If you love white chocolate, you are actually not eating ‘real chocolate’ from cocoa derivatives but cocoa butter, sugar and milk. This means it doesn’t have the antioxidants that I have been raving about. Sorry! Also, chocolate does not aggravate acne. That is an unfounded rumour as acne is due to gene make-up and hormonal changes; of course a balanced diet is instrumental in clearing acne away but a bar of chocolate will not make zits pop up on your face! Aki.akanyange@gmail.com

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Insights:Women n Such: What is it about chocolate?