Sunday, July 20, 2014

Myth: Chocolate makes you happy

This myth has been assiduously promoted by chocolate companies who now ascribe all kinds of health benefits to chocolate. Often, these claims are substantiated by references to ‘scientific’ research that has been sponsored by the chocolate companies themselves.The truth is that chocolate does contain tiny quantities of substances that can elevate your mood. So far so good. 

But many other foods contain much larger quantities of these substances: salami, for instance. And yet, I have never read an article that says “Want to feel happy and romantic? Eat lots of garlic salami!”



One reason why people often feel a degree of elation after eating chocolate is because chocolate usually contains sugar and they get what is known as a sugar rush.

The problem is that cheap chocolate usually contains the most sugar. But the claims are made most often for very expensive, low-sugar dark chocolate.


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