Chocolate is a psychoactive food. It is

made from the seeds of the tropical

cacao tree. The cacao tree was

named by the 17th century Swedish

naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term

theobroma means literally "food of

the gods". Chocolate has also been

called the food of the devil; but the

theological basis of this claim is

obscure.

Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs

to prepare a hot, frothy beverage

with stimulant and restorative

properties. Chocolate itself was

reserved for warriors, nobility and

priests. The Aztecs esteemed its

reputed ability to confer wisdom and

vitality. Taken fermented as a drink,

chocolate was also used in religious

ceremonies. The sacred concoction

was associated with Xochiquetzal, the

goddess of fertility. Emperor

Montezuma allegedly drank 50

goblets a day. Aztec taxation was

levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao

beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao

beans bought the services of

courtesan.

The celebrated Italian libertine

Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took

chocolate before bedding his

conquests on account of chocolate's

reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac.

More recently, a study of 8000 male

Harvard graduates showed that

chocoholics lived longer than

abstainers. Their longevity may be

explained by the high polyphenol

levels in chocolate. Polyphenols

reduce the oxidation of low-density

lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.

Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive

performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory

are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study

needs replicating.

A symposium at the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science - hyped as a

potentially "mind-altering experience" - presented evidence that chocolate consumption can be

good for the brain. Experiments with chocolate-fed mice suggest that flavanol-rich cocoa

stimulates neurovascular activity, enhancing memory and alertness. This research was partly

funded by Mars, Inc.

Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the worlds oldest supercentenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment

(1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment

habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets

at the age of 119 - three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to

eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.

In the UK, chocolate bars laced with cannabis are popular with many victims of multiple sclerosis.

This brand of psychoactive confectionery remains unlicensed.

Chocolate as we know it today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Swiss

confectioner Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to

chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins

to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F.

Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the

counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response

may depend on the attributes of the interviewer.

In 2007, a UK study suggested that eating dark chocolate was more rewarding than passionate

kissing. More research is needed to replicate this result.

More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified. Chocolate

clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the

central nervous system are poorly understood. So how does it work?