Can You Really Get Addicted To Chocolate?

We've all met someone who claims to be a "chocoholic." And more often than not, the claim comes as they are mid-chew with a mouthful of — you guessed it — chocolate. Perhaps even you yourself can't say "no" to its flavor and buttery texture. Yes, this oh-so-tempting sweet comes in many forms and may be hard to turn down, but is it really possible to be addicted to chocolate?

The answer would appear to be yes if we were to base our explanation solely on cravings. And you're in good company if you know how intense those chocolate cravings can be. Greatist shares that recently, chocolate was rated the most commonly craved food for teens in the U.S., and the average yearly consumption for adults is a pretty sizeable 9.5 pounds per year! 

So what's in that chocolate bar, snack, or dessert that's making it hard to live without? Let's start with the main ingredient. According to LiveScience, chocolate is harvested, fermented, and then roasted after it is taken from the fruit of the Theobroma cacao. This is a tropical tree whose name translates to "food of the gods" in Greek (very fitting).

Some may not know this, but a mouthful of cocoa without sugar would be surprisingly bitter and unpleasant. Sugar makes for the perfect balancing act, but this ingredient is likely the one making your cravings a whole lot stronger. Cassie Bjork, RD, LD, founder of Healthy Simple Life, tells Healthline that sugar can be even more addicting than cocaine. "Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite the negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormone imbalances, and more," she states.

So far we've found that the two main ingredients of a typical chocolate dessert give similar effects to the brain as cannabis, amphetamines, and compulsive behavior. All signs are leading to a "yes" on the addiction question, right? Not quite. Addiction is a heavy word that many of us throw around too casually (hello "coffee addicts"). Dr. Alan Greene, a children's health and wellness expert, tells Healthline how addiction is used as a medical term. "In medicine we use 'addiction' to describe a tragic situation where someone's brain chemistry has been altered to compel them to repeat a substance or activity despite harmful consequences. This is very different than the casual use of 'addiction,'" he explains.