Why chocolate makes us happy

A one-ounce serving of dark chocolate contains 64 mg of magnesium. Add to that an abundance of other essential minerals, antioxidants, flavanols, and prebiotic fiber—all which makes us feel better in more ways than one. Palatability is also linked to the opioid system in our bodies. Opioids, such as endorphins, are released when we eat food that we like, enhancing our enjoyment even further.

The mouthfeel of chocolate is another major part of its appeal: the way the cocoa butter perfectly melts in your mouth and coats your tongue. Beyond its extraordinary chemical composition, chocolate makes us feel good simply because we think it will. The experiment, which had subjects listen to either sad or happy music, found that those listening to the sad tunes ended up eating far more chocolate.

How chocolate makes us happy may still be a bit of a mystery among scientists. That it continues to give us joy—bite by bite—remains an indisputable fact for the rest of us. Our editions are very limited and many of them are sold out after a few days. All Products Explore our entire chocolate portfolio. Origin The complete experience. Art Series When chocolate meets art. Blog Musings on all things cacao and chocolate. Our Story The dream started in a rainforest reserve.

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Shop Products Package. Back to blog Back to health Back to good to know. Why does chocolate make you happy? How chocolate triggers a positive feeling In certain circumstances our body produces endorphins. To reduce bitterness, most chocolate bars contain a fair whack of sugar—dark chocolate generally has around 30 per cent and milk chocolate upwards of per cent.

Most of the chocolate we eat contains sucrose also known as table sugar. Sucrose is a simple carbohydrate made up of one ring of glucose and one fructose, fused together. When we eat sugar, the enzymes in our intestines split it into glucose and fructose in a ratio.

Chocolate manufacturers in some countries use high fructose corn syrup in a 55 fructose glucose ratio instead of sucrose, but inside our body it end up the same. When sweet sugars hit our tastebuds they send a chemical message to our brain. This not only tells our brain we have just eaten something sweet, but it also triggers the release of chemicals normally associated with reward and pleasure. The most well-known of these is dopamine, but there are many other chemical changes that all contribute to the pleasing sensation we get after eating sweet things.

Sweet, sweet chemistry Can chocolate make you happy? Theobromine is very chemically similar to caffeine.