Chocolates Used as Aphrodisiac

Chocolates are believed to be an aphrodisiac. Its reputation started from ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations where it was thought to have magical and aphrodisiac qualities, where when taken, it enhances one’s sexual prowess. That is why it’s often referred to as food of the gods. That was one thousand five hundred years ago. Today, it is still considered as so and yet not magical nor as food of any god but of common men. One thing for sure is eating chocolates gives one a pleasant feeling afterwards. 

Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals some of it having qualities which might explain some of the pleasurable effects of consuming chocolate. Caffeine is the most well known of these chemical ingredients, and while it's present in chocolate, it can only be found in small quantities. Theobromine, a weak stimulant, is also present, in slightly higher amounts. The combination of these two chemicals (and possibly others) may provide the "lift" that chocolate eaters experience. Phenylethylamine is also found in chocolate. It's related to amphetamines, which are strong stimulants. All of these stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert.

After the “good-feeling,” chocolates also possess qualities that are beneficial to our health. Only, this is limited to dark chocolates since consuming the other chocolate by-products such as milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking milk with dark chocolate, appears to largely negate the health benefit. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardio-protective properties. Cocoa possesses a significant antioxidant action, protecting against LDL oxidation, perhaps more than other polyphenol antioxidant rich foods and beverages. Some studies have also observed a modest reduction in blood pressure and flow mediated dilation after consuming approximately 100g of dark chocolate daily. Evidence from laboratory studies also suggests that cocoa flavonoids may possess anti-carcinogenic mechanisms, but more research is needed to prove this idea.

Regarding its aphrodisiac effects, the consumption of chocolates give an instant energy boost, increasing stamina, giving it its reputation as an aphrodisiac. The energy boost was said to have come from the highly addictive substances of Phenylethylamine and Seratonin, which I have mentioned earlier, although women are more susceptible to the effects of these substances than men. This illustrates why women tend to be more chocoholic than men.

Three other chemicals are used to explain why chocolate makes people feel "good." "Researchers at the Neuroscience Institute in San Diego, California believe that 'chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana, and that these chemicals may be responsible for certain drug-induced psychoses associated with chocolate craving'.” Although marijuana's active ingredient that allows a person to feel "high" is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a different chemical neurotransmitter produced naturally in the brain called anandaminde has been isolated in chocolate. "Because the amounts of anandamide found in chocolate is so minuscule, eating chocolate will not get a person high, but rather that there are compounds in chocolate that may be associated with the good feeling that chocolate consumption provides.”

In the body, anandamide is broken down rapidly into two inactive sections after produced by the enzyme hydrolase found in our bodies. In chocolate, however, there are other chemicals that may inhibit this natural breakdown of anandamide. Therefore, natural anandamide may remain extensively, making people feel good longer when they eat chocolate.