Okay, we’ll admit it. Here at Her.ie we’re a bunch of chocolate addicts. In fact, there’s always some kind of chocolate knocking around the office and now, finally, we know why we’re so obsessed with eating it (aside from the fact that it tastes amazing like).
According to a new study, chocolate has an effect on our brains that is similar to taking opium! In case you were wondering, opium is one of the main chemicals in the illegal drug heroin. And it’s also highly addictive. Yes, seriously.
Researchers at the University of Michigan carried out some chocolate-eating tests on rats and discovered that a natural brain chemical called encephalin surged through the rats’ brains as they ate chocolate M&M sweets. This caused them to more than double the amount of chocolate that they ate.
So what is enkephalin then? Well, basically it’s an endorphin that has similar properties to opium and it reduces pain by replacing it with pleasurable feelings.
Are you addicted to chocolate?
“This means that the brain has more extensive systems to make individuals over consume rewards than previously thought,” said Dr Alexandra DiFeliceantonia, the lead author of the study, which was published in the noted journal Current Biology.
“The same brain area tested here is active when obese people see foods and when drug addicts see drug scenes. It seems likely our enkephalin findings in rats mean this neurotransmitter may drive some forms of overconsumption and addiction in people,” she added.
So there you go, chocolate addiction is actually a real thing. Now can someone please pass us a bar or a bit of chocolate cake or something before we start having withdrawal symptoms?
