What is the deal with Chocolate and women, why does it seem to be gender related?

WOmen eat so many chocolate because eating chocolate feels good!

Why We Feel Good Eating Chocolate

If you are looking for something that will bring you out of the blue mood, then perhaps it is time for some delicious chocolate. There are many foods out there today that can be said to have mood altering chemicals or properties and chocolate is no exception. Chocolate is one of those wonderful inventions that we appreciate on several occasions throughout the year. There is no set time to enjoy this treat however many people will only eat it in moderation. Whatever the amount you decide to eat or when to eat it, one thing is for sure you will feel good doing it.

Mood Altering Properties

There are several different chemicals that are found within chocolate that would be considered mood enhancers. One such chemical is called anandamide, and this chemical is actually naturally produced by our own body. This chemical is designed to relax you and make you at ease, some aspects that are much appreciated. There is another such product that does the same thing as chocolate however there is a very distinct difference between the two. Marijuana is said to contain the same level of relax mood stabilizing effects, yet it is illegal and chocolate is not. As a matter of fact several scientists suspect that chocolate does indeed have small traces of the mood stabilizing properties as Marijuana, yet in much smaller quantities. Another such chemical that triggers a feel good response in the body that can be found in the chocolate that you love is Phenyl ethylamine or (PDA). This chemical is specifically concentrated in chocolate to elicit a response from the consumer, and this will in turn prompt you to purchase more. Another common ingredient that is found in chocolate is sugar. The sugar in chocolate is inserted to activate the response of serotonin in your body, which is a well known feel good mood enhancer.

There To Make You Smile

Regardless of what the event or situation that has brought you down one thing is for certain, chocolate is there to make you smile. It seems as though you can always find some comfort in chocolate when you are simply not happy, and this is something that is noticeable in both men and women. While men do enjoy chocolate from time to time, it seems to be the fair gender that appreciates this delight more often than not. Men and women both enjoy the fine spoils that chocolate has to offer, yet you will most often find that it is a woman that is truly succumbing to the temptation of the allure of chocolate. Many women actually find chocolate very soothing when they are going through emotional troubles. This is something that has been a common “female” factor for as long as chocolate has been around.

It’s In The Brain

One of the most often asked questions when it comes to chocolate, is “why does it seem to affect women more profoundly than men”? Scientists have long since been looking for clues to this riddle and they believe that they may finally have an answer. Chocolate seems to trigger a response in a portion of the brain known as the amygdala. This is a major emotion center within the brain and it seems to be the source of the entire mood setting programming. The properties within the chocolate not only affect the good feelings but quite possibly emotions such as love and desire. Men and women seem to deal with these emotions differently, and it is within women that the chemicals that are released affect the most. Either way, chocolate is something to easily fall in love with.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine. It is the same chemical released in the brain when a person falls in love (nothing about sex). However, some researchers believe that phenylethylamine causes the brain to release mesolimbic dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain, another chemical where its presence is at peak during an orgasm (that part is related to sex). Also, it releases endorphins, which are actually addictive.

More interesting, however, is that progesterone is thought to induce fat storage and a drop of the level of fat in your blood may prompt a craving for fat. So when a woman is near "her time" she may unknowingly crave things, like chocolate, to help keep her hormones at bay...

I'd imagine it has something to do with the fact that women are a bit more emotional than men and generally deal with their emotions differently. Chocolate is comfort food.

i think it's both socially and biologically conditioned. like a mix. however, i'm a woman and i don't even really like chocolate (i know, i know. i'm like a freak of nature).

though i do love hot cocoa. chocolate can help warm you up. also the caffeine and sugar release endorphins and all that junk, which i'm sure you already know. but it's kind of a comfort thing, i think.

I have never really understood the connection either but i have been told its something to do with the chemicals it releases in the brain which is similar to the ones released when having sex.

Soooo

My theory is women like it because it makes them feel like they are having sex, which results in them getting fat and getting less sex as a result which means they eat more chocolate to compensate for the drop in their sex life and the horrible cycle continues.

also check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsqiXUsrArI