The Drug-Like Characteristics of Chocolate - 665 Words

Taren and Bruinsma’s article focuses on the drug-like characteristics of chocolate. It discusses how chocolate can attribute to addictive behaviors and why this occurs. First, the idea of chocolate being addictive is addressed. The â€Å"urgent inner demand overrides all others, undermines reason, resolve, and will†¦It does not stop until satisfied. And then, it starts again (Bruinsma Taren, 1999).† This behavior is associated with heavier drugs such as cocaine, alcohol, and heroin but were observed in people who craved chocolate. From observations, researchers gathered that when a person had a craving for chocolate it gave them negative moods and substitutions would not completely satisfy the craving. They used white-chocolate, magnesium supplements, and other fatty sweet foods. White chocolate is used as a substitute because it mimics texture and sweetness while magnesium supplements are used because chocolate is high in magnesium. Other fatty foods were used be cause fat and sugar are normally associated with human pleasure for food consumption and are key ingredients to chocolate. Though some of the substitutes showed signs of satisfaction, they never completely satisfied the craver. One of the reasons for this phenomena is the chemical nature of chocolate. Chocolate contains a relatively high amount of serotonin which is responsible for the regulation of food-intake and mood. A person who craves chocolate is possibly trying to balance their body’s low level of serotonin theShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Food of the Gods1133 Words   |  5 PagesThe Food of the Gods For over 2000 years, chocolate in its many forms has been enjoyed and its effects have been exalted. It was believed that the Mexican god Quetzalcoatl left the cocoa tree for the people. The Aztec emperor Montezuma is reported to have consumed 50 goblets of chocolate a day. It is called the food of the gods, literally, as a translation of Theobroma Cacao, the cacao bean. (1). Such a title must imply that chocolate has some naturally occurring superior quality. Why elseRead MoreChocolate, The Food Of The Gods1581 Words   |  7 Pages Chocolate, It’s been described as one of life’s â€Å"sinful little pleasures.† It s been proven that there are foods that people are passionate about, a passion that’s more than just love for food. For the true chocoholics like myself, just thinking about chocolate can evoke a pleasurable response. But could something that tastes so delicious actually be good and healthy for you? Over the years we have all heard many negative claims about chocolate, especially if you eat a lot like I do. ButRead MoreForrest Gump Analysis Essay1125 Words   |  5 PagesWord Count: 1,124 Random Chocolates When you open a box of assorted chocolates, what do you see? Some people look, and they know that there are some chocolates mixed in that are absolutely horrid, and they do their best to escape them. Others see the candies and know that one of them will be their demise, but they eat them all anyways. However, a few people gaze into the box and see an opportunity for surprise with each morsel. In the movie Forrest Gump, the concept of destiny is viewed byRead MoreEssay about The Effects of Caffeine870 Words   |  4 Pagesthousand years that have passed, there is still controversy surrounding the biological effects of coffee and its primary active ingredient, caffeine. Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant drug in the world, usually ingested in the form of coffee, tea, soft-drinks, and chocolate. (Honig) Caffeine is derived from a bean or from tea leaves and can be found in the seeds or fruits of more then 60 species worldwide.(American Academy) Caffeine has numerous effects and it isRead MoreHave You Ever Seen A Cruelty Free Symbol In The Shape Of1430 Words   |  6 Pagesthrough force feeding, food deprivation, and inflictions of wounds. That bunny probably is not okay right now. Cosmetic companies all over the world endanger the lives of animals to test toxicity and irritation of products. In order to test these characteristics, the products are placed on the skin and eyes of animals. If a rash occurs, or if the animal is in any pain because of the product, it is unsafe for human use. After the animal is tested on, it is then killed for further exploration of the bodyRead MoreDrug Profile Paper1105 Words   |  5 PagesDrug Profile Paper University of Phoenix PSY/425 March 22th, 2012 Drug Profile Paper This paper will illustrate several aspects of how drugs affect our lives. Addiction philosophies including the psychology and physiology will be explained in an attempt to describe how drugs affect our bodies both physically and mentally. Secondly, different drug categories types will be covered including: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Each of these categories has differentRead MoreSpeech on Caffeine Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesTitle: Caffeine Specific purpose: To inform my audience what exactly caffeine is, where it comes from, the benefits of caffeine and the negative effects of caffeine. Introduction A. Attention material: Do you ever feel like you will never make it through the day without caffeine? Is your first thought in the morning to get yourself a cup of coffee before you can even get your day started? B. Tie to the audience: I am sure that most of you do consume at least one form ofRead MoreThe Power Of Love By Harry Potter1724 Words   |  7 Pagesconcept for many. It’s clear that the wizarding world’s love potions are the equivalent to date-rape drugs, where an individual is victimized and forced to perform unwanted actions unknowingly. In this paper, I am going to explore the concept of love potions and the dangerous implications of love potions through scenes in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Ron accidentally ate laced Chocolate Cauldrons and the memory of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle. The idea of love potions is a major conceptRead MoreNotes On The Formation Of Nerves Essay1145 Words   |  5 Pagesarticle is of a paper written by Sampson; in his article, â€Å"Perforating hemorrhagic (chocolate) cysts of the ovary†, he states there is typically nothing characteristic about the pain many women experience with endometriosis, â€Å"nor is there necessarily any relationship between the extent of the adhesions and the severity of pain†. The paper then goes on to discuss Dr. Pamela Stratton’s lecture on the clinical characteristics of chronic pelvic pain. In her speech, Dr. Stratton reviews current methods ofRead MoreGenetically Modified Food Production Definition Essay1190 Words   |  5 Pagescanola oil, snack on biscuits and chocolates, drink soy milk or eat tofu, you re probably tucking into â€Å"Franken food†. Genetically modified food are imported from other country’s to Australia, for example imported soya, soya is a protein bean from an Asian plant its used as an replacement for animal protein in certain foods for example it’s in chocolate, potato chips, margarine, mayonnaise and all sorts of salad dressings. Imported corn can be found in foods like bread, your breakfast cereals,