Oysters, strawberries, and chocolate. What do these foods have in common? Allegedly, they're aphrodisiacs. Yes, it's said they can all increase our sexual desire. But is that true? We've chosen to try to find the answer regarding chocolate.
We've always associated this food with aphrodisiac properties, something that stems from Western culture's past. However, the truth is that chocolate is one of the most complex foods in the world, making it truly difficult to fully understand all the effects it has on our bodies. It is known that this ingredient contains flavonoids—antioxidants belonging to the same family as green tea and red wine—and that the darker the chocolate, the greater its antioxidant power, something that greatly benefits our health.
It was once proven that "love candy," as it can also be called, produced natural opiates (precursors of well-being) in the brain. This finding may also be linked to its aphrodisiac properties, although there is no certainty.
Scientists argue that chocolate's aphrodisiac qualities are due to several chemical ingredients it contains: tryptophan, a component of serotonin (a brain chemical involved in sexual arousal), and phenylethylamine (also known as the "love hormone"), which is released in our brains when we fall in love. Despite this, it's believed that the amount of these substances in chocolate isn't significant enough to have a significant effect on our sexual desire.
Most studies conducted to reach more assertive conclusions on the topic of increased libido through chocolate fail to prove this ability on a significant scale. Furthermore, researchers believe that this quality we attribute to this food is merely psychological, and not something that manifests itself physically.
The good news is that even if chocolate isn't the sexual desire booster they've always tried to sell us, we can still use it to add a special touch to our romantic encounters—it will never cease to be a sensual food. So, don't give up on giving or receiving the traditional box of chocolates on Valentine's Day, because, in truth, it's not chemicals that make us more capable of loving and making others feel good.
Find a good reason to make chocolate whatever you want – whenever you want.
