Can Chocolate Affect Your Sex Life??
Can chocolate affect your sex life?
>From the time the first coca beans were harvested by the Mayans,
there has been the belief that chocolate has a euphoric impact
on the body's senses. The conquistadores saw the Emperor
Montezuma of the Aztecs consuming a large quantity of cocoa in
the form of a beverage called chocolatl before entering his
harem. The invading Spaniards spread the Emperor's belief that
cocoa was an aphrodisiac and brought it to Europe. This belief
was also shared by one of history's most famous lovers, Giacomo
Casanova.
Since then, the use of chocolate as part of the mating ritual
has been firmly established. . More recently it has been shown
that not only does chocolate increase the sexual appetite but
also produces a sense of elation similar to an orgasm. It has
only been in recent times that scientists have unravelled
chocolate's psychotropic properties and the effects it has on
us. Chocolate has been found to contain modest amounts of the
stimulants caffeine and theo-bromine, (much less than in coffee
or tea) Chocolate is also known to generate increased levels of
serotonin, a chemical naturally produced by the brain, which is
known to reduce anxiety. Serotonin is most commonly associated
with the effects of marijuana or getting 'stoned' (you would
have to eat 25lbs of dark chocolate at once to achieve the same
effect).
Neither of these properties by themselves provides the
connection between eating chocolates and heightened sexual
pleasure. It is in fact the rush of endorphins produced by
eating chocolates, particularly dark chocolates, which is most
similar to the bliss associated with a healthy sexual
relationship. Chocolate also contains phenyl-ethylamine which is
known to stimulate the release of dopamine into the pleasure
centers commonly associated with an orgasm.
In addition to this scientific evidence, a great deal of
behavioral research has been done to study the sexual behavior
of women who eat a lot of chocolate and those who don't. The
conclusion of this is that women who consume large quantities of
chocolate have more satisfying sex lives. However the reverse
correlation could also be assumed where women with satisfying
sex lives tend to eat more chocolate.
Despite the fact that the relationship between sex and chocolate
can't be proven with 100% certainty, the scientific evidence
combined with behavioral studies provides a compelling argument
for cocoa's impact on our sexual drive - it is convincing enough
for chocolate to have become a part of my daily diet!
I recommend that you buy chocolate with a high cocoa content
which taste better and do not contain extra sugars and oils like
candy bars found in most shops. My personal favorite, Neuhaus Chocolates,
is an example of where you can get dark chocolate with a high
cocoa content and a resulting surfeit of pleasure. To paraphrase
the Song of Solomon, 'Stay me with flagons and comfort me with
chocolates, for I am sick with love'.