Chocolate is an addictive drug and many of its ingredients can have an effect on the brains chemistry. It is well known that chocolate contains caffeine, which whilst found naturally in many products, is a highly addictive stimulant.

Other stimulants found in chocolate include theobromine and phenylethylamine, which is related to amphetamines and increases neurotransmitter activity increasing your ability to pay attention and stay alert. Phenylethylamine also has an anti depressant effect along with two other substances present called tyramine and tryptophan, which the brain converts into the feel good chemicals dopamine and serotonin.

This could be why people self-prescribe chocolate for depression. If you want to self-medicate with chocolate it is recommended that you should reach for cocoa – or dark chocolate, which can contain two to three times as much of these compounds, per ounce, as milk chocolate.

Chocolate also contains cannabinoids, the same compound that is responsible for the high of marijuana. But don’t worry the concentrations are too low in chocolate bars to cause an effect.  Dark chocolate delivers plenty of cannabis related substances and compounds that stimulate the brain to release opiate like substances adding to the addictive nature of the chocolate. This probably explains why when we chocoholics crave chocolate, inexpensive, low-quality candy won’t do, we want very high fat, dark chocolate.

Aside from the feel good factor associated with eating chocolate the health benefits of dark chocolate have been researched considerably over the last few years and with each report new evidence reveals the many benefits of eating higher cocoa dark chocolate in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Some of these claims include:

• Dark chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure.
• Dark chocolate includes a substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals.
• Dark chocolate is a rich source of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties.
• Dark chocolate may reduce the possibility of a heart attack when consumed regularly in small amounts.
• A compound has also been found in chocolate which in the laboratory stops breast cancer cells from dividing.

Before you start self prescribing chocolate as part of you healthy diet, then make sure you are eating the right type. If we were to eat pure cocoa then we may be able to enjoy the health benefits however the majority of people eat processed chocolate. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk for example contains just 21% cocoa solids.  Processed chocolate also contains a high percentage of less desirable ingredients such as extra sugar, corn syrup, milk fats and hydrogenated oils which may offset any health benefits achieved by eating chocolate.

To obtain the greatest health benefits you need the finest, plain dark chocolate, which contain at least 70% cocoa (both solids and butter). Milk chocolate usually contains up to 50% and high-quality white chocolate contain only about 33% cocoa.

Chocolate higher than 75% tends to be more bitter than sweet, and is classed as high cocoa chocolate but is not to all tastes. The higher cocoa content leaves less room for sugar however, high cocoa chocolate is popular for those wanting to reduce their sugar intake and also experience the many health benefits gained from the active properties contained within cocoa.

If you wish to experiment with discovering your own preferred level of cocoa you could try the Le Nauncier collection of 70 milk and dark chocolate tasting discs from Chocolate Trading Co. Each disc has varying cocoa contents from 33% milk all the way up to 99% dark chocolate.