Nobody knows who said it, but the saying, "coffee makes it possible to get out of bed, chocolate makes it worthwhile" sums up how strongly some of us feel about chocolate. But wouldn't chocolate be even more enjoyable if you didn't have to bother getting out of bed at all?
Chocolate body paint has become enormously popular over the last decade or so, probably because it combines two of the nation's favourite things: chocolate and love.
But some people, including the ancient Aztecs, have suggested that there is more to it than that, and that chocolate is actually an aphrodisiac. We all know that chocolate is a popular gift amongst lovers, but is there any real evidence to back the theory up?
We do know that one of the side-effects of eating chocolate is that the brain releases endorphins, the body's natural way of dealing with pain. So when there isn't actually any pain to anesthetize, it has the effect of calming the person, making them feel very happy and relaxed. This effect could be construed as having an aphrodisiacal effect.
Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, an amphetamine-like chemical naturally present in the brain that is often referred to as the 'love chemical'. Because this chemical is released at a higher rate when a person is happy or in love, a recent theory has been put forward that eating chocolate intensifies these feelings and is therefore a stimulus for love.
But later studies have found that eating chocolate does not actually increase levels of phenylethylamine in the brain and therefore cannot be classed as an aphrodisiac.
And so the debate goes on. But whatever the scientists say, if eating chocolate makes you feel good then why not have a bit of fun and slap on some chocolate body paint. Whether it is an aphrodisiac or not, let's face it, it beats eating oysters any day!!!
Click Here to Shop for Chocolate