Better than a kiss? A piece of dark chocolate… science says so! This surprising result emerges from a scientific study conducted a few years ago by a team of English scholars led by Dr David Lewis of the Mind Lab at the University of Sussex (Lewis et al, Mind Lab).
But how was it possible to make this statement? Let’s go into the details of this exquisite piece of news for chocolate lovers. Dark chocolate is better than kissing, the study scientists recruited young couples. Each study participant was fitted with electrodes to measure their heart rate and brain activity. All the volunteers were then asked to melt a piece of dark chocolate in their mouths, thus gradually measuring the body’s reaction.
In the second part of the experiment, couples were asked to kiss. Well, what emerged is that both chocolate and kissing increase heart rate and brain activity, but chocolate does it to a greater extent and with a longer-lasting effect! In particular, when tasting the chocolate piece, all areas of the brain were activated with a burst of energy that was greater and lasted longer, even up to four times longer, than what was observed with the kiss.
The same result was observed regarding heartbeats. Noteworthy is the fact that no differences in response were observed between the two sexes. In short, dark chocolate beats the kiss hands down, it must be said!ConclusionsA piece of chocolate gives feelings of well-being and euphoria even greater and more lasting than those that a kiss can give.
The credit goes entirely to the substances contained in dark chocolate, such as caffeine, which is a stimulant, and phenylethylamine, produced by the body when we are in love and capable of increasing endorphin levels, substances that help relieve pain, reduce stress, and generate a feeling of euphoria and well-being. The real trick in this case is to slowly melt the dark chocolate piece in your mouth, on your tongue, and not eat it in one go. Finally, it is important not to exceed the quantity and to avoid dark chocolate in the evening hours, so as not to cause an increase in body weight and problems falling asleep.