An Affair to Remember

I was watching my favorite TV show, Lost, the other day. In the short version, a plane crashes on a mysterious island and strands about 48 survivors with no food. After more than a month on the island, the female lead finds an underground room that is filled with food. She goes straight for a chocolate bar. As I watched that I thought, I would totally do the same thing! What is it about chocolate that makes women go weak in the knees?

I asked a few people what they thought. Here is what they had to say!

“It makes us happy!!!” Female, USA

“I’ve always felt chocolate cares when no one else does. It makes me feel loved. If someone says chocolate, I think love.” Female, Sweden

And I of course got a male perspective on the issue too.

“Well it’s apparently due to some kind of chemical reaction released during chocolate-eating having a similar pleasing effect as certain endorphins or whatever being released during sexual activity. But that could just be an urban myth.” Male, UK

Well, I did some research and this is what I found out. One of the key ingredients in chocolate is phenylethylamine (PEA) also know as the “love-chemical”. This induces feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension and euphoria. However, most of the PEA in chocolate is metabolized before it hits the central nervous system.
So maybe it’s not PEA. Maybe its society telling us we should love chocolate. Or maybe chocolate is just that wonderful. Whatever it is, the love affair between women and chocolate is bound to continue until the day the world ends. But hey, at least the love affair is with chocolate and not another man, right?

Until next time, this is Kandy K…stay sweet!!