Sure, “chocoholic” may not be a common terminology, but you may have heard about it or used it to describe one’s love for what the Aztecs and Mayans believed to be the gods’ food. This sparks the question, “is there anything such as chocolate addiction or food addiction, in general?”

Now, to address the above question, it is essential to understand the vital components of addiction, and they are usually three; loss of control over the addiction object, intense craving for the object, and continued engagement or use, despite adverse effects. As several studies prove, human beings can exhibit all of these components concerning food.

Let’s take a craving for instance. You have probably heard some people narrate how they could wake up in the middle of the night just to have a pint of ice cream. This is a typical scenario among ice cream lovers. But have you ever heard that someone is desperate for celery at midnight? Most probably, you haven’t. The reason for this could be that sugary and high-fat foods, such as chocolate, stimulate brain reward pathways. In fact, abrupt withdrawal of these foods could cause your body to react in a way similar to addiction-related withdrawal syndrome.

Chocolate is loaded with fat and sugar, and it is a frequent subject in many food addiction studies. In one of the publications in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Yale University researchers assessed people’s addictive behavior to a chocolate milkshake. According to this study, it was clear that chocolate lovers depicted a similar brain activity to that of drug addicts. Another study done at Drexel University proved that some people experience psychological reactions, such as a craving for more and intense pleasure, when eating chocolate. However, this does not mean that you should not have a good stock of chocolate in your kitchen cabinet, especially if such a cabinet is from Wholesale Cabinets, one of the most popular suppliers of ready-to-assemble cabinets. With multiple compartments, these cabinets will not just store your chocolate, but also other kitchen stuff.

It’s essential to understand that addictions to food and drugs. Perhaps the most obvious and apparent difference between the two addictions is the fact that while addictive foods are necessary for survival, addictive drugs may not be essential for survival. If anything, they are harmful to one’s health and could only breed more problems, both physically and emotionally.

At a Glance

Whether “chocoholics” are real or not, it is essential to follow a general rule of thumb, which states that eating, like any other good thing, should be done in moderation. Whether addictive or not, too much of something, as might be said, is poisonous, and chocolate could be toxic if it is consumed in excessive amounts. Thus, you need to pay attention to this rule every time you feel like having a chocolate bite. If you decide to delay gratification, just take comfort in the fact that you’re caring about your health. You could apply this approach to other foods or addictive substances like cigarettes and alcohol, and you won’t regret.