• Question: why does chocolate make us happy? if theres a chemical in it,how do the people making it get such an ingredient, and why do people like it so much when there sad or stressed people are tempted to eat chocolate?

    Asked by 373fscd37 to Emma on 16 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Emma Feeney

      Emma Feeney answered on 16 Nov 2015:


      Thats a great question – chocolate makes us happy mainly because we enjoy it, in other words we derive pleasure from eating it. Some people have suggested that the tryptophan, an amino acid that is present in some chocolate, may be the cause of the pleasure because tryptohan is a precursor of a feel-good hormone called seratonin. Cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolate, naturally contains both of these, so that might be why some people like to eat it when they are sad or stressed. However, the scientific evidence suggests that for most people, it is the taste, and the enjoyment of eating the chocolate that provides this feel-good factor. Interestingly, exercise also releases feel-good hormones, so that can be a better (but less delicious) alternative if you’re feeling stressed or sad!

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