Study: Chocolate More Exciting Than Kissing

Researchers in Britain have announced that people get more excited from eating chocolate than they do when they passionately kiss their lovers.

The researchers studied couples in their 20s and had their heart rates and brains monitored while they first melted chocolate in their mouths. Then the couples were to kiss each other the way they would normally.

The 12 20 somethings each wore heart monitors and had electrodes attached to their heads to monitor the results.

The researchers expected chocolate, especially dark chocolate, to raise heart rates, but they didn't expect it to have such a huge effect.

Chocolate caused a bigger and longer lasting "buzz" than kissing. Chocolate also doubled the volunteers' heart rates.

"These results really surprised and intrigued us," said psychologist David Lewis. "There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz - a buzz that, in many cases, lasted four times as long as the most passionate kiss."

The research was lead by Lewis who works out of the Mind Lab, and formerly at the University of Sussex.

With the results combined with growing levels of obesity, experts were sure to warn that chocolate should only be consumed in moderation.

"There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz," said Lewis. "A buzz that, in many cases, lasted four times as long as the most passionate kiss."

Kissing also made the subjects' heart rates rise, but it did not last as long as with chocolate, which increased heart rates from a resting rate of around 60 beats per minute up to 140.

The study also showed that when the chocolate started melting in their mouth, all parts of the brain received a boost more intense and longer lasting than with kissing.

Most consider women to love chocolate more than men, but the results showed the same reaction to chocolate in both men and women.

"While we fully expected chocolate- especially dark chocolate - to increase heart rates due to the fact it contains some highly stimulating substances, both the length of this increase together with the powerful effects it had on the mind were something none of us had anticipated," Lewis said.

The Mind Lab is funded by members of the food industry.

Sources:
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2099773,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6558775.stm?ls