#GBBO | Does Chocolate Make you Happy?

As we reach the concluding stages of the Great British Bake off - I thought I'd look at chocolate! To many across the globe, why we like chocolate is a mystery, yet we can't stop eating it (understandably!!) But in 1996, we had our first indication of what, exactly it is that makes chocolate so delicious and addictive. The study completed in 996 looked at the effect of chocolate on the brains of American women  - they found that as they ate the chocolate, endorphins were released making the women feel happy. This then fired up many other research projects which found that chocolate actually contains many other substances known to lift your mood. Take theobromine for example which can increase heart rate, making you feel more alert combined with other substances like seratonin (an neurotransmitter associated with happiness) and caffeine may well contribute to the overall feeling when you eat chocolate. Although, researchers now believe it might just be down to craving the feelings endorphins bring us!