chocolate could actually be a drug in disguise. Scientists at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, a privately supported, non-profit laboratory in the us, report that chocolate contains three chemicals which could mimic the actions of marijuana. This could be the reason behind the well-being expressed by people who have just bit into chunks of chocolate and also the craving for the chocolate bars.
The chemicals have been found to affect the same parts of brain cells that are turned on by smoking marijuana. However, "we are talking about something much milder than a high", remarked Daniele Piomelli, a researcher at the Institute. The ingredients in chocolate could combine with other chemicals like caffeine to produce a "transient feeling of well-being".
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