Are You a Chocoholic? The Good News...
Chocolate has multiple effects on the brain, behavior, and health.
By Mark S Gold
Published by Psychology Today on April 18, 2025
Key points
• Cocoa, abundant in dark chocolate, has anti-inflammatory, cognitive, mood, and behavioral effects.
• Chemicals in all chocolates affect the brain, activating the brain’s reward system.
• Chocolate can cause craving and loss of control, becoming a trigger for compulsive eating.
• Memories of fatty and sugary foods , encoded in the hippocampus, making cravings feel impossible to resist.
Dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, semisweet. Chocolate Easter bunnies, chocolate Easter eggs, Valentine’s Day candy, fancy chocolates, mocha frappuccinos. Many people say they are addicted to chocolate. Is that even possible? And what is it about this substance that appeals to lovers, children, and your sick friends in the hospital?
