On the eve of Valentine’s Day, sales of chocolates, and also of flowers, soar more than in the rest of the year.
However, for many this delicious treat is a company every day. If this is your case, have you ever wondered if that passion could turn into addiction? Here we are going to review what science says.
Chocolate is a food that is obtained after mixing sugar with dough and cocoa butter, products derived from the seeds of the cocoa tree or cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.).
Different types of chocolate can be manufactured depending on the ingredients that are added to this basic mixture, such as colorants, fruits, nuts or milk, among others.
Due to its enormous popularity to Throughout the world, many experts began to wonder if this candy could be addictive, and thus entered the controversial terrain of food addictions.
- Do you have a carbohydrate addiction?
Who supports This idea, they ensure that certain foods, including chocolate, can alter the same brain and nervous system pathways that are affected by excessive drug use.
This means that food addiction can occur when certain foods, or specifically Entity, nutrients, repeatedly activate the brain’s reward system.
The available evidence is still scarce and more studies are needed to corroborate this hypothesis, but many researchers agree that chocolate, like other refined, processed or sugary products, provides a significant amount of carbohydrates and fats, which can alter blood sugar levels and hormonal balance.
This affects the production of dopamine in the body, a Chemical messenger that plays an important role in the brain’s motivation and reward pathways.
How do I know if I am addicted to chocolate?
For almost half a century that Scientists study chocolate addiction and evaluate its supposed health benefits.
Different studies in children and adults concluded that chocolate is among the most problematic foods when it comes to addictive eating behaviors .
To reach these results, it is common to use the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), a tool developed at Yale University to measure and evaluate how addictive foods can be .
This scale is based on classifying by numbers, from 1 (non-addictive) to 7 (highly addictive). Chocolate usually receives scores that range between 3.7. Other foods that are considered addictive according to this tool are pizzas, soft drinks, french fries, hamburgers, ice cream, cakes or cheeses.
It is likely that this score on chocolate is due to many of its Ingredients, such as cocoa butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, flavorings or preservatives, are rich in carbohydrates and fats.
But the links behind this relationship and the chemical processes still need to be understood in depth that triggers to effectively diagnose it as an addiction.
- The good side of eating chocolate
Certain symptoms may indicate that you have little or no healthy relationship with chocolate:
- Classify it as a “forbidden” food.
- Eat too much and quickly.
- Establish strict rules about how and when you can eat it.
- Be aware of having chocolate available, au Don’t go to eat it.
- Hide its consumption from family and friends.
- Restrict it abruptly and completely from the diet.
- Suffering from binges or stomach pains from overeating.
- Have constant cravings.
- Have stress or anxiety when you eat it.
Does chocolate have benefits?
Chocolate has a significant concentration of antioxidants and nutrients that have been linked to different Benefits:
- Fight free radicals, unstable molecules that affect healthy cell structures, as it is rich in antioxidants.
- Decrease inflammation of cardiovascular tissue.
- Improve mood and counteract mental disorders.
- Get more energy.
- Protect nerve cells.
Most of these benefits They come from in vitro or animal studies, and focus on studying specific chocolate compounds, so their results cannot be transferred to humans with complete certainty until clinical trials are conducted.
A Despite its fame, chocolate is not necessarily a harmful food, but when we do not consume it in moderation it can cause many health problems, such as being overweight, cardiovascular problems or diabetes.
These conditions can be aggravated if we usually opt for refined or excessively sugary versions of chocolate. Try to opt for less processed chocolate and maintain control when adding it to the diet.
If you think you could have an addiction or problems with chocolate or another food, you should consult a professional in health as soon as possible, so that you can determine the best way to deal with that situation.
To remember:
Until significant scientific evidence from human trials is available, people interested in using herbal therapies and supplements should be very careful.
Do not abandon or modify your medications or treatments, Talk to your doctor first about the potential effects of complementary or alternative therapies.
Remember, the medicinal properties of herbs and supplements can also interact with prescription drugs, other herbs and supplements, and even alter your diet.
Consulted sources : Association American Heart, Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database, US National Library of Medicine, US Department of Agriculture, National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Yale University.