Can’t stop eating chocolate? Do you also feel your day is incomplete without eating chocolate? Do you also think your celebrations are incomplete without chocolate addiction? Well, you might be facing a chocolate addiction.
Chocolate addiction is the uncontrollable use of chocolate despite knowing its harmful effects. This article will provide every single information about Chocolate addiction. Is it real, and if it is, what are its symptoms and treatments?
This blog post will help you overcome your chocolate addiction. This comprehensive guide will enable you to keep a healthy relationship with chocolate. Let’s start this journey by educating you about chocolate addiction.
What Is Chocolate Addiction?
Chocolate addiction means doing the overuse of chocolate in your daily life despite being aware that it’s harmful to you. You feel very intense chocolate cravings. Chocolate contains a lot of addictive ingredients like sugar, fats, and carbs.
Chocolate use in excessive amounts can also cause health problems for you. You may also need help with problems when you cannot have it if you are a regular chocolate consumer.
Is It Real Or A Myth?
Excessive use of anything can create problems, and chocolate is no exception. Chocolate addiction is real, but it is not medically considered as an illness. Yet, it can cause medical concerns, so it’s better to use it in appropriate amounts.
Causes
There are a lot of causes of chocolate addiction. These causes vary from each other depending from person to person. If you find any of these causes relatable, then it may be your time to avoid it and stay away from chocolate addiction. Here are some of the reasons that can make you a chocoholic. Let’s take a look at these causes in detail.
- Highly addictive ingredients
- Personal liking
- Social Popularity (e.g., seeing it everywhere)
- Psychological Effect (Like using it for stress or better mood)
Symptoms Of Chocolate Addiction
If you want to know whether you are addicted to chocolate or not, try passing yourself through these scenarios. If you find most of these conditions familiar to you, then you are probably suffering from chocolate addiction.
- Intense cravings
- Taking it as a reward
- Feeling guilty after eating it
- Eating it despite being full
- Lying to family and friends about it
- Eating it for celebrating
- Secretly eating it
- Overeating despite knowing health concerns
Side Effects
Excessive use of chocolate can cause you a lot of trouble. Some of these side effects can be serious to your health. So, always try to eat chocolate in the appropriate amount. Let’s check out the details of these side effects.
Weight Gain
Weight gain is the first side effect of eating a lot of chocolate. It is because of the high amount of sugar and fats in chocolate. Many researches proved that people who have increased use of chocolate tend to gain more weight than others.
Heartburn
The second disadvantage of chocolate addiction on our list is heartburn. When we eat a lot of chocolate, it reduces our esophageal sphincter pressure, which is a major cause of heartburn. Even using less chocolate is also recommended to stay safe from gastroesophageal reflux by doctors.
May Be Allergic
Many people suffer from food allergies daily due to the unknown allergens in their food. Similarly, chocolates also contain undeclared allergens sometimes. So be very careful before eating it because it may cause allergic reactions, especially if you are allergy-sensitive.
Undeclared Toxins
Another side effect of eating chocolate can be the intake of undeclared toxins. These toxins are often added mistakenly in chocolate production and may cause damage to your body. So the best way to prevent it is to eat chocolate from good companies and in appropriate amounts.
Harmful For Diabetes Patients
Chocolate addiction is very harmful to you if you are a diabetes patient. Even saying fatal instead of dangerous would not be wrong here. This is because it contains a large number of sweetening agents and fats.
Tips To Overcome Chocolate Addiction
Here are some very practical tips to practise for overcoming your chocolate addiction. These are helpful tips, and if you don’t get better with these tips, then you should consult a health professional.
- Self-education about the side effects of chocolate
- Replace it with a healthy diet, i.e., Yogurt or anything of your choice
- Eat according to the need
- Stop hiding it from others
- Do mindful chocolate-eating
Final Words
Wrapping it up, that was all about chocolate addiction. Although it is the favorite treat of millions of people worldwide, its dependence is very harmful. It can even lead to serious health concerns. The best way to enjoy chocolate is by eating those flavors that have less fat and sugar than others and in an appropriate amount.
Practice our best tips to get rid of chocolate addiction above for less use. Headaches, irritations, and nausea are the typical reactions when you cut down your chocolate use. If you are unable to control yourself even after implementing our tips, then consider contacting a dietitian and psychologist to help you with it.