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!
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
#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!
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
#GBBO | Why do biscuits go soft?
As Great British Bake Off returns tonight for episode 5 I thought I'd look at the science of baking. Unlike bread, most biscuits tend to go soft if they aren't eaten quickly enough. Biscuits are baked to have a low moisture content so they're crunchy. However if they're left out for too long they start to absorb moisture from the air so if you keep your biscuits in an air tight container they'll stay fresher for longer.
Great British Bake Off is on tonight BBC 2 8pm
Great British Bake Off is on tonight BBC 2 8pm
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