There can be little denying that as a nation we love chocolate!  It is fact that Britain is now top of the chocoholic’s league!

Last year, the average Briton devoured the equivalent of 266 Mars bars and over 10 years, a typical adult eats their own body weight in chocolate!

So why do we love chocolate so much?

With over 500 chemicals in many consumer chocolates, it is not easy to pinpoint exactly what makes it so attractive.

Well it appears from extensive research that people like the texture of chocolates smoothness and creaminess in the mouth. They feel it's something luxurious and pamper themselves with it. It’s also chocolate’s multi-sensory appeal that makes it so alluring for most!   Chocolate has an aroma and taste that match up perfectly!

Letting chocolate dissolve slowly in your mouth produces as big an increase in brain activity and heart rate as a passionate kiss—but the effects of the chocolate last four times longer!  A great reason why to reach for a bar or two!

One of chocolate’s chemicals, the ‘feel-good’ anandamide, which is also found naturally in the brain, is partly responsible for our love affair with chocolate. This chemical is normally broken down quickly after being produced. But the anandamide found in chocolate makes the high last longer in our brains.  While chocolate does not contain the same active chemicals as marijuana, there is some similarity in the effect that both substances have on our brains.

In moderation as part of a balanced diet it can be had as part of a healthy diet so it's not all bad news for chocoholics.

Nowadays you can buy high quality chocolate bars in every high street supermarket which have a high cocoa content which actually help to reduce cholesterol.

The polyphenols in cacao beans, for example, are thought to help protect our hearts.

People who consumed chocolate just 1 to 3 times per month had a 26% lower risk of developing heart failure. So if your buying chocolate for the one you love, consider making it dark chocolate to provide an extra bit of love to the heart muscle.

Real chocolate, or cocoa, is associated with decreased low-density lipoprotein levels and increased high-density lipoprotein levels which  are important for carrying cholesterol to the liver.

Eating chocolate releases the same hormones that our bodies make when we are in love.

And as for piling on the pound - Raw cacao consumption can help with weight loss as it eradicates sweet cravings. The abundance of antioxidants can also help keep our metabolism running smoothly.

Remember the great thing about chocolate is that it never asks any questions - it just understands!