Many girls go by this guide in life: chocolates makes everything better. Actually, they got it partially correct! Phenylethylamine (PEA) would be the contestant to get all the credit for that one. Apparently, it has a "feel-good" effect on our brain, which explains it all.
The Mayas first used chocolate as a drink for the so-called rich. Nowadays, the liquid they consumed would thought to be far from delicious. Soon after, the Aztecs took over that civilization and thought chocolate was sexually stimulating. Of course, the Europeans came over and, them being their greedy selves, took the cocoa beans back to Europe with them. The Aztecs were misguided because chocolate was not an aphrodisiac (sexual stimulant). The "feel-good" effect could have been mistaken for it being something more.
Anyway, chocolate is only 7% PEA; PEA is produced by cooking the cocoa beans in the sun. The happiness someone may obtain is credited to the rise of glucose in our blood and also our blood pressure increasing. This molecule might cause the release of dopamine which makes us happy- meaning PEA acts similarly to ECSTASY!
There is PEA in our bodies, so eating chocolate isn't the only way to get that more-than-satisfactory feeling. It's formed from phenylalanine, which is a vital amino acid.
Chocolate fat is unique because it was made to melt at about 35 degrees Celsius. This is impressive because most fats melt much before then. In addition, there is only one proper stage for solid chocolate to be in, otherwise it will have a weird, greasy, white outside but will still be perfectly edible. Chocolate-making is an art! :D
...I shall cover oxalic acid this weekend, for the fear that the abundance of words will make this seem boring. Also for the fact that I wouldn't want anyone to be too mind-blown just yet!
so technically chocolate is like a drug? because if the PEA in it is similar to ecstasy and ecstasy is a drug wouldn't that make chocolate one too?
ReplyDeleteWell, PEA has the "same" effects as amphetamines (like methamphetamines) and ecstasy because it makes our brains happy. But chocolate is approximately only 7% PEA while obviously amphetamines contain more. The PEA in chocolate doesn't always trigger the release of dopamine though. Also, our body doesn't have much need for PEA so an enzyme, called monoamine oxidase, gets rid of it. To answer your question, chocolate is not a drug and doesn't have the extreme effects of amphetamines.
DeleteInteresting how something once considered a luxury item is now as commonplace as it is. Also cool how something as as simple as chocolate had a significant effect on world history since cocoa beans were a major product sought after by the commercial nations of Europe.
ReplyDeleteChocolate- This post is interesting and awesome! It caught my attention, and chocolate definitely does make everything better :)
ReplyDeleteThats amazing! No wonder so many people love chocolate! And its very interesting to see how the Mayas and the Aztecs used chocolate and what they thought about it.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's why so many people like chocolate! I wonder if some chocolate companies started because they knew chocolate had a "feel good" effect on the brain?
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