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Chocolate's reputation as an Aphrodisiac
originated in South America over one thousand five hundred years ago, where it is known that it was
thought to have mystical and aphrodisiac qualities by both the Mayan and Aztec cultures - the Aztec
emperor, Monteczuma drank fifty golden goblets
of chocolate a day to enhance his sexual prowess -. So when chocolate was discovered by the Spanish Conquistadors and introduced to Europe by
Cortez, it was natural that the Spanish, and eventually, the rest of the world, continued to
associate it with love. The reasons for this can be seen in the observed affects of chocolate on
human behaviour.
Chocolate
is a very complex food source, so complex in fact that scientists are only now beginning to
unlock it's secrets. Among it's many other constituents, chocolate has been found to contain
substances called Phenylethylamine and Serotonin, both of which (put simply), are mood lifting agents.
Both occur naturally in the human brain and are released by the brain into the nervous system when
we are happy and also when we are experiencing feelings of love, passion and/or (dare I say it?)
lust. This causes a rapid mood change, a rise in blood pressure, increasing the heart rate and
inducing those feelings of well being, bordering on euphoria usually associated with being in love
(or lust).
Eating chocolate also
releases Phenylethylamine and Serotonin into the system,
producing those same euphoric effects. This phenomenon has been scientifically observed, so it's not
unreasonable to assume that it's probably these effects which gave rise to chocolates reputation as
an aphrodisiac. Both these substances can also be mildly addictive, explaining why chocoholics are
chocoholics. Plus eating Chocolate gives an immediate and substantial energy boost thus increasing
stamina.
Recent research suggests
that women are more susceptible to the effects of Phenylethylamine and Serotonin than men but although the
famous lover, Casanova is said to have consumed chocolate for it's aphrodesiac qualities before
frolicking with his conquests, he obviously didn't know this as there's no mention of him giving chocolate gifts to, or sharing it
with, the ladies, maybe he thought his charms alone were enough to guarantee success.
So there you have it, calling Chocolate an aphrodisiac may be stretching it a bit, but
eating chocolate does make you feel good and can actually induce or 'mimic' the feelings of being in
love... So, aphrodisiac or not, if you want to ensure a
loved one’s everlasting devotion, a gift of chocolate is the way to do it
and you can’t do better than a gift of Janet's chocolates, handmade, specially for
you!
Fancy doing a bit of
scientific research?
Click here to order a chocolate delivery, a gift of chocolates will
certainly earn a few 'brownie points' with your other half and, you will have a great time
trying it out to see if it works, so you really can't go wrong. It's a 'Win Win' situation!
©2004 - 2008 -
Aphrodite Handmade Chocolates (www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk)
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