The actual reasons why chocolate makes you feel good

Chocolate’s enduring appeal lies in how it interacts with the brain and body

Chocolate isn’t just something we eat − it’s something we crave, celebrate and even associate with comfort and pleasure.

We love its decadent flavor, silky smoothness and melt-in-your-mouth texture so much that it’s little wonder “its scientific name literally means ‘food of the gods’ in Greek,” says Jen Messer, a registered dietitian and president of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

And that devotion peaks around certain times of the year, when chocolate becomes shorthand for romance and affection and even a substitute for words that fall short. Around Valentine's Day, for instance, an estimated 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold annually.

But chocolate’s enduring appeal goes beyond sweetness or tradition. Its real power lies in how it interacts with the brain and body − how it triggers pleasure, comfort and connection in ways that can be both good and bad for you.

Chocolate’s production begins with cacao beans, the seeds of the cacao tree, which grows primarily in tropical regions near the equator. After cacao pods are harvested, the beans inside are fermented and dried, a crucial step that develops chocolate’s complex flavor compounds.