Originally published at Jake’s Health Solutions
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
– Charles M. Schulz
I’m not sure exactly why the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the cacao tree the scientific name Theobroma, but it is certainly deserved: the term means “food of the gods” in Latin.
Chocolate’s unique combination of flavor, aroma, and mouth feel provides a captivating experience that has given the confection its “guilty pleasure” reputation.
But chocolate doesn’t have to be forbidden. In fact, a growing body of research shows that, in moderation, it provides impressive health benefits.
Chocolate is one of the most-craved foods in the world, and the reasons go beyond its pleasing taste and texture – it contains over 300 naturally-occurring chemicals, some of which make you feel happy via the release of certain neurotransmitters.
Here are a few of the feel-good chemicals in chocolate and their affects…
