Why do people eat chocolate? Because it 'tastes good,' study reveals

A revolutionary study conducted by Psychology Professor Paul Rozin and graduate student Willa Michener has established that people actually eat chocolate because they enjoy its taste. The experiment, which used undergraduates from the University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as subjects, found that the only factor involved in satisfying a craving for chocolate is its flavor. Rozin, a renowned researcher in taste and food, said in a statement that he is excited about the findings. "What is surprising is that our study suggests that the satisfaction of the craving lies primarily in the experience of the sensory properties," he said. Likewise, Michener was overwhelmed with the conclusions, adding that she too was pleased with the outcome. "The most significant thing we found from this study was that you need the flavor of chocolate to satisfy the craving for chocolate," Michener said. Subjects were given one of six items when they had a craving for chocolate and asked to rate the level of satiation. Among the items were real chocolate, tasteless cocoa capsules and placebo capsules. The different items enabled the researchers to account for any ingredient present in the real chocolate that may reduce the chocolate craving in the subjects. The researchers said they decided to conduct the experiment to determine if some hidden chemical exists within chocolate that produces a "drug-effect," leading to an addiction. Frances Seligson, senior manager of nutrition and food safety for Hershey Foods, Inc., said the corporation is pleased with the results of the study, especially since the subjects were tested with Hershey chocolate. "We agree with the basic conclusions," said Seligson. She also said that such studies are important because they support the chocolate company's claim that there is no secret, addictive ingredient in chocolate. "We like studies like this because we don't think there's a drug in chocolate," Seligson said. "We really, truly think that way. It has a negative implication on our company." Michener said other findings in the experiment were also significant, and deserve further research. For instance, while caffeine and theobromine -- a chemical which is similar to caffeine -- are both present in chocolate and may have some effect on energy levels, neither chemical suppressed the chocolate craving. Michener wants to continue this research in the future, examining other physiological effects of chocolate. However, Seligson disagrees and believes such a study would be a waste of time. "Based on what I know, I don't know that [theobromine] would have that effect," she said. Seligson added that the amount of caffeine present in chocolate is about the same as a decaffeinated cup of coffee and the theobromine levels are lower than those in cheese and sauerkraut.

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