Why Do We Love Chocolate and Consume  Moderately?

 This post deals with the following:

• Is chocolate bad for young children?

• Why do adults love chocolate?

• What is a chocolate craving?

• How do you reduce chocolate cravings?

• Conclusion 

• My chocolate experiences.

Picture courtesy Unsplash used Canva frame.

Is chocolate bad for young children?

I asked our daughters, P1 and P2 when they were little angels, about feel-good stuff, celebrations, gifts, presents, birthdays, friends, and travel, and they would put chocolate on the top.  For the monthly shopping, they did their shopping together in a separate basket; the major item was chocolate.  It worried me; both had terrible teeth then (not now).  I had a childhood that never experienced chocolate.   Our father kept a strict eating regime about sweets, even with certain fruits; sugar was the villain.  

That was a worrying point for me during those days.  In our weekend NRK (non-resident-Keralites) gatherings, the senior mothers would find time to educate the weaning mothers.  Truthfully, we kept what came out of them in high esteem.  On the non-resident Kerala circles, seniors rocked.  Not any more.  Now, young mothers find their mothers and grandmothers on Google.  Scientific studies on health matters are happening daily, and plenty on chocolates and children. 

Chocolate is not bad for young children, as the studies confer.  However, it should be consumed in moderation.  Chocolate contains sugar, fat, and Cocoa, which children's livers and kidneys cannot process in large quantities.  

Also, it should be eaten before lunch or as an afternoon snack, but not after lunch because it acts as a stimulant.  Regarding age, as a rule, they can be introduced to chocolate from year two but get the paediatrician's advice.  

Check the type; chocolate contains sugar, saturated fat and Cocoa, and choose them with less fat, sugar and more Cocoa; they are dark chocolates.  Milk chocolates are good with more Cocoa, not white chocolates with more sugar and fat. 

Chocolate and Cocoa are different; the latter can be introduced to children after year 1, like cocoa biscuits and with milk; hot chocolate is a great choice. 

Why do adults love chocolates?

Our love for chocolate is innate, an evolutionary adaptation that makes us vulnerable to fat and sugar, as our ancestors included them in their food for consumption.  Sugar activates sweet taste and consumption, and fat gives us the energy needed for our body to function. 

 

And, no natural food supplies us with these two; no plant that grows fruits that contain both.  And here comes our magical product to fill this shortage- the chocolate, a unique food combination of the two-fat and sugar.  So, our body gets thrilled even by the sight of the product and prompts us, Wow, consume it as much as you can.

The market is doing a fabulous service to support us by making the product lovable to consumers.  To make it appeals to all five senses, taste, sight, touch, hearing, and smell, through its attributes of flavours, colours, snaps, smoothness and various aromas. 

Image courtesy Unsplash

Here is a report from the biggest chocolate company that investigated why consumers of chocolate globally love the product.

• 54 % of consumers eat the product (1) to treat themselves, as chocolate is an all-pleasure factor, (2) to satisfy a craving.
• 52 % to indulge.  
• The three prominent attributes of chocolate are pleasure factor, craving and indulging. 

That means more than half of the global population is already under the charm of this go-get product.  We can only think of a celebration, gathering, outing, gift hamper, picnic, or social or cultural gathering with chocolate products.  The product quickly became prominent, ignoring the caution and curtailment once kept by many for whatever embargos.  No mention of how it passed into cultures that once took pride in being lean customers to ensure pleasure for the senses, taking the ways of the manufacturers. 

Unlike the older, the present is a time of indulgence, with self-indulgence prominent for young and old.  

What is this chocolate craving?

It is that sudden craving Chocolate lovers experience to indulge in that velvety, creamy bite into the flavour of their chocolate choices.  It doesn't matter the time, whether it's late at night or afternoon; it comes so forcefully.  Chocolate craving is a common term we use casually.  Does this casual term have any science behind it? 

As per science, we crave chocolate for the following reasons.  It is:

• An emotional soother.

Chocolate is associated with comfort and pleasure, making it a go-to treat during stress, sadness, and even joy.  Eating chocolate releases endorphins, hormones "that alleviate pain, lower stress, and improve mood and your sense of well-being." So, chocolate can act as an emotional soother.  

• A mood-enhancer.

Hormonal changes in the body can create energy level fluctuations and mood swings that cause chocolate cravings.  These are more commonly associated with women during the menstrual period.  Chocolate's mood-enhancing qualities can temporarily alleviate these fluctuations.  

• Has positive effects on brain chemistry.

Chocolate releases endorphins, which, in addition to creating a pleasurable sensation, have stimulating effects that may contribute to cravings. 

• To express the body's nutrient deficiencies.  

Scientists believe chocolate cravings may be a way for the body to express nutrient deficiencies, such as magnesium.  

• To please our brain that naturally seeks pleasurable experiences.

The sensory experience of chocolate, a unique combination of sweet, bitter, and sometimes salty taste with its creamy and smooth textures, can create a unique sensory appeal that can make the brain crave having more of it.  So, taste and texturing make you crave chocolates, to say it goes first to our brain, before the stomach.

• Sugar addiction.

Sugar contains high amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in the reward system.  Chocolate contains a high amount of sugar and addiction, which can create chocolate cravings.

How do you reduce chocolate cravings?

So, chocolate cravings have more functions in our bodies.  Eating chocolates enhances our mood, soothes us emotionally, satisfies our cravings, makes our social gatherings rich and sweet, makes us feel good and rich, and enhances our brain chemistry.  All these have adverse effects on our bodies.  So, we need to practice the remedies for the cravings.

What are the healthier options to remedy chocolate cravings?

• Eat suitable types of chocolates. 

• When you get cravings, go for dark chocolates.  They have less sugar and more Cocoa content, 55% more than ordinary chocolates.  Many dark varieties are available in the markets with eating instructions and benefits.  
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• Practice moderate eating.
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• Eat within control measures.  If you exceed this measure, dark chocolate can induce severe health issues.  The general daily measure I came across in the research is between 28 and 56 grams.
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  Eat a balanced diet.  To maintain your nutritional balance, incorporate fruits, lean protein, and whole grains.
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  Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking water; thirst can be mistaken for fatigue and craving.
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  Manage stress by participating in stress-busting activities like yoga, breathing exercises, a short walk, etc.
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  Break the habit of having a sweet tooth, like eating sweets and chocolate after a meal. 

Brain chemistry is not an easy matter; it can play a detrimental role in people's

food consumption, causing obesity, a significant issue in many countries, including the US.  The influencing contents are sugar and fats.  For those interested, read How Sugar and Fat Can Trick the Brain into Wanting More Food.  

Conclusion.

It is time when young and old move away from once restricted self-indulgence and willingly experience self-indulgence as part of a shifting lifestyle, a feel-good self-transformation.  

• Sugar and fat consumption is an evolutionary habit, but nature has not grown a tree with fruit that combines the two.  No wonder chocolate is a delectable product to compensate for this shortfall, and the manufacturers are highly committed to making the product a high priority in consumers' minds and matters.  They are keen on trying, innovating, and maintaining the consumers' love affair with it, as well as their affinity and cravings, in line with their shifting lifestyle.  

• The products maintain unbeatable taste, texture, colour, and flavour quality.  The melting feeling in the mouth beats any other confectionery.  Its most tempting and velvety, creamy flavours favourably play into consumers' emotions, feelings, cravings, and brain chemistry.  
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• It's an emotional soother, a mood enhancer, and a pleasure kicker in the brain, which in turn drives more cravings and addiction, possibly resulting in health issues that need caution and moderate consumption.     

  My chocolate experiences.

I am a lean chocolate consumer.  I do not get the craving to chase after it at any hour of the day.  On days when I get late for the noon meal, I grab a lunch bar.  P1 and P2 have learned to be moderate consumers of the tempting confectionary and to practice moderate sweet tooth.  They are highly conscious of the dangers of overindulgence in sugar and fat.  They are no longer staying with us, but we all keep the practice of eating nutritional meals. 

•  How about you? 
• Are you practising moderate consumption of chocolates, sugar, and fat? 
• Are you consuming a well-balanced diet with enough nutrients?

This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge. 

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