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Here's why you might want to try lime water…. Can You Become Addicted to Chocolate? Written by Abbey Perreault on February 5, Read this next. Need a New Fave Fruit? Here's 12 Reasons to Go for Bananas Bananas are already a popular fruit thanks to their sweet taste and convenient built-in packaging. Rising Star?
Highly processed foods that are high in sugar and fat — like many types of chocolate — are often considered more addictive than less processed foods like fruits and vegetables 5 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 , As you can see, one serving of chocolate may contain up to half the DV for sugar and one-fifth of the DV for fat.
High carbohydrate foods — including chocolate and other sugary sweets — may cause addiction-like cravings. They also alter your blood sugar and hormone levels in ways similar to other addictive substances 5 , Plus, these changes in blood levels affect dopamine in your body.
One study including more than adults who used this tool found that chocolate was consistently ranked as one of the most problematic foods for addictive-like eating behaviors Similarly, another study including children with overweight identified chocolate as the single most addictive food when using the scale Scientists have been investigating chocolate addictions for over 25 years now 24 , 25 , Early food addiction research suggests that sugary foods like chocolate are more addictive than less processed foods.
Different types of chocolate contain different ingredients, though most have a few key ingredients in common. The main ingredients used to make chocolate are 31 :. You may have heard that certain types of chocolate have some health benefits. These are mainly attributed to antioxidants and other beneficial plant chemicals found in the pure cacao ingredients, which are the cocoa mass and cocoa butter 1 , 32 , Some scientists also question the role that food additives play in addictive eating.
Food additives like flavoring and artificial sweeteners are often added to highly processed and hyper-palatable foods like chocolate So, one way to avoid the most potentially addictive types of chocolate is to eat varieties of chocolate that are less processed and lower in sugar and fat, especially in trans fat. Many dark chocolate varieties are lower in sugar. Plus, dark varieties tend to have the greatest concentration of antioxidants and other healthy nutrients The most addictive types of chocolate may be those highest in sugar and fat.
Opting for dark varieties that are lower in sugar and fat may be a more nutritious way to enjoy this treat. Though you may worry about eating chocolate and other foods that could be addictive, remember they can still be enjoyed from time to time as part of a healthy diet. Want more tips like these? Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Share this —. Follow better. By Nicole Spector. One small thing Are sneaky sugars hiding in your food? Use these healthy swaps to cut back. Explaining your craving: Why chocolate delights body and brain Aug.
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