We’ve long believed that a sweet tooth correlates with willpower. But scientists are now claiming that some of us are actually hard-wired to enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate.
A team of Italian researchers discovered that for some, eating sweet treats is more pleasurable than for others, because it sends their brain’s pleasure centre into a state of euphoria.
In contrast, other people’s brains aren’t as interested and barely register the taste of the sugary treat, finding it easier to turn down a piece.
The team from the Institute of Clinical Physiology in Pisa studied the brain reactions of a group of people while they were fed chocolate. They then monitored their reaction to images of a chocolate cake, observing that participant’s brains reacted quite differently to the stimuli.
“We noticed that in some patients the response was reduced,” Dr Patricia Iozzo told The Telegraph UK. “It seems they do experience less pleasure and the front part of the brain is less capable of controlling what is happening.
“With some patients our theory has been validated. Some people need more stimulus for the same kind of brain activity.”
The addictive nature of sugary and fatty foods is no new discovery, with previous studies finding they can be as addictive as smoking.
