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Are you one of the millions of people who call themselves a chocoholic? Do you get weak in the knees when you walk past a chocolate shop? Do you fall victim to midnight chocolate cravings? Don’t worry, there’s no judgment here. 

Chocolate does indeed feel addictive, and here’s why: When we eat sweet or high-fat foods, our brains get as happy as our taste buds. Sugary and fatty foods cause the brain to release serotonin, which helps stabilize our moods and ward off depression. And because these foods activate the pleasure centers in the brain, studies show that people can become dependent on sugar and fat in their food. 

But does chocolate fit the true definition of addictive? Let’s look at the science. Three components make up addiction—an intense craving, a loss of control over the object of that craving, and the continued use of that object despite negative consequences. Studies show people can exhibit these behaviors with certain foods. The studies even showed similar brain activity between drug addicts and participants presented with chocolate milkshakes. However, these situations are extreme and don’t account for the majority of the population. 

Another study conducted in 1994 on some chocolate lovers showed interesting results. Participants were given packets to eat whenever they experienced a chocolate craving. Some packets contained chocolate, some white chocolate (which does not contain the active elements of chocolate), and some a tasteless capsule filled with cocoa. By scientific reasoning, if chocolate is indeed addictive, the capsules with cocoa should be enough to fill the chocoholic need. They didn’t. Participants chose the white chocolate over the capsules, even though it contained none of the compounds of regular chocolate. 

The general consensus is that we crave and seek out chocolate simply because it tastes really, really good—not because it’s addictive. In a weight-obsessed culture, many of us have learned to see it as a forbidden pleasure, which makes us want it more. And that’s why it feels so very addictive.