Everyone knows that chocolate tastes delicious. There is hardly a person who does not feel the desire to eat chocolate. There are biological and social factors that determine the extent to which people eat chocolate. A team of researchers has investigated why eating a bite of chocolate feels so good.
A scientific approach
A team from the University of Leeds' School of Food Science and Nutrition and Mechanical Engineering found that eating chocolate is partly due to the way the fats interact with different parts of the mouth. In a study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, the researchers explained that when these chocolate nibbles touch our tongue, we get the irresistible feeling that we are chewing. If a Chocolate 5% fat or 50% fat, it also forms droplets in the mouth and this creates the chocolate sensation.
Anwesha Sarkar, Professor at the School of Food Science and Nutrition: „The location of fat in the composition of chocolate at each stage of the meal matters and has rarely been researched. The fat regardless of the amount the layer of fat should be on the outer layer of the sweet to give the same sensation of pleasure in the mouth.”
Since cocoa was invented
Chocolate is a sweet made from cocoa beans, what is most often are prepared in thin sheets. Chocolate has entered the public consciousness and most languages of the world as a name for the Navatl Indian name xocolātl (sokoatl), which has been used since the 16th century. In the Americas, the Aztecs were drinking chocolate long before the European conquistadors. In 1519, when the Spanish arrived in what is now Mexico, Montezuma offered xocolātl to Spanish conquistador Cortés, who overthrew the Aztec Empire. It was a simple drink. Cocoa beans were roasted, ground, whisked with water and then the bitter drink was drunk. Cortés took cocoa back with him, but it was not until the 17th century that it spread to other parts of Europe. At first, the Spaniards themselves did not like it, finding it too bitter. It was first flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar by Spanish nuns in Mexico.
Why we love chocolate
Cocoa ingredients have an effect on the central nervous system. Anandamide, which is produced by the human brain, causes a feeling of happiness. In addition to all this, we can also be covetous because the flavonoids found in cocoa beans help the blood vessels to function, thereby improving blood circulation. Its antioxidant content makes it extremely beneficial to the body, and its calcium content strengthens bones and can help prevent osteoporosis. It produces the hormone happiness, and has been used historically as a stimulant of desire.
Chocolate is a constant enigma
Cocoa has spread around the world at lightning speed. To this day, arguments for and against its consumption are still being made. The anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoids it contains have been shown to improve cognitive function. Improved visual abilities, memory, freshness, improvement of short-term memory, speed of thinking - all positively influenced. Research shows that people who eat chocolate at least once a week show significantly better results in these areas than those who don't. However, chocolate products in most cases contain a lot of sugar, so excessive consumption leads to weight gain. In the long term, excessive chocolate consumption is not healthy and can even cause diabetes.
Artificial language created for the chocolate appeal
Dr Siavash Soltanahmadi, a scientist at the University of Leeds and the University of Edinburgh, will jointly develop an artificial language in late 2020. It has the ability to replicate what happens when chocolate and saliva mix in your mouth. This was key to the team's research. „By understanding the physical mechanisms involved in the way people eat chocolate, we believe that we can develop the next generation of chocolate, which will provide the sensation of high-fat chocolate, yet be a healthier choice. Our research creates the opportunity for manufacturers to intelligently design dark chocolate while reducing the overall fat content.” - said Dr Siavash Soltanahmadi, head of the research.
Source: https://www.foodandwine.com/why-chocolate-feels-so-good-to-eat-7095934
