Erotic Chocolate?

When Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, lovebirds always seem to rely on a chocolate box of mouth watering arrays. This maybe because chocolate is a delicious morsel that symbolizes our love and admiration for another bundled in heart-shaped boxes or wrapping paper. Yet, for centuries, civilizations through out history have claimed to have discovered the secret to heighten sexual desire, chocolate. Researchers speculated how accurate this claim was and through numerous experiments still believe that the amounts of chemicals in chocolate are too small to have any measurable effect on our desire. Perhaps all the noise chocolate as an aphrodisiac has made though out history has really provoked people to truly believe it is one. Consequently, I wonder if when we give chocolate to our lovers, is it because we secretly want to unleash their “freaky side”, or because chocolate seems the easiest way to say “I love you”?

Chocolate is derived from the seeds in a cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, identified by Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist in the 17th century. Theobroma, in Greek, translates to “food of the Gods”. Ancient Aztec’s are the earliest known to utilize cocoa seeds into brewing a hot beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. The emperor Montezuma was alleged to consume the bean in copious amounts to augment his romantic trysts. Chocolate has been favored throughout time by many different people, ancient Aztecs to Popes to high society Victorians. Although Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 every year, it originated from the Roman celebration called Lupercalia, which was held on February 15, a fertility festival. Hence, it’s very evident how chocolate has found itself to be known as an aphrodisiac.

Chocolate contains approximately 380 known chemicals, with many of those being able to affect our brain causing the release of certain neurotransmitters. Happy neurotransmitters, like endorphins can help alleviate or reduce stress and lead to feelings of euphoria. Both Phenylethylamine and Serotonin are in chocolate which help increase our mood, though these hormones are naturally found in our brain. Serotonin is an anti-depressant chemical that works amid endorphins easing our pain and decreasing stress. When we savor our creamy delight, our level of endorphins increase, giving credence to why chocolate is also known as a comfort food. Phenylethylamine, known as the “love drug” is disputed where it is an amphetamine because it works like amphetamines to increase mood and also decrease depression. This chemical causes changes in our blood pressure giving us feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension and euphoria, which also is released when we fall in love. “Phenylethylamine is a naturally occurring trace amine in the brain. Phenylethylamine releases dopamine in the mesolimbic pleasure-centres; it peaks during orgasm.” All these emotions are highly common when one feels like they are in love, or having a high sexual drive. Thus, combining phenylethylamine's ability to speed our heart rate, happy endorphins power to cause relaxation and other neurotransmitters launching pleasurable “highs” throughout the brain makes it understandable that chocolate was assumed to be an aphrodisiac.

One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex and 22% were more likely than men to choose chocolate as a mood elevator. Women who consumed chocolate daily reported a higher degree of sexual satisfaction. Interestingly enough, the director of Nigeria’s Federal Agency for Food and Medicine advised Nigerians to forego Viagra in favor of of eating chocolate. Therefore, it’s evident that even if no actual evidence has been proposed, maybe if you truly believe chocolate is an aphrodisiac, then it might just spice up your sex life.

Chocolate is the instant known “love booster”, giving us an automatic sweet taste in our mouths. Most of us buy chocolate for our beloveds simply because we’ve been told these Valentine’s Day confections send a message of love. Then again, we might give chocolate to someone we care about to stir up the same emotions in them as well. Nevertheless, researchers have stuck to their word on the amount of chemicals in chocolate being very slight to have such an affect. Yet, I believe that the brain is so vigorous that if we consider chocolate to sincerely be an aphrodisiac, then a little bit of magic might just occur, especially for woman. "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker." are Ogden Nash’s immortal words, except if you really do love your sweetheart, tell them it’s an aphrodisiac, and a box of chocolates might just do.