We’ve all heard it before…and it’s even been investigated in a study.
Here’s what they found.
A group of 153 Italian women between 26-44 years old were interviewed about their ‘recreational habits’ and answered questionnaires on their ‘sexual function’ – named the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).
From a glimpse at the data, it would initially seem as though the women who reported eating more chocolate actually did have higher FSFI scores (i.e. sexual activity) than women who didn’t eat much, or any, chocolate.
BUT… with a closer look, the women who ate chocolate daily were significantly younger than those who didn’t. And when the data was adjusted for age, their scores were similar regardless of their chocolate habits.
The bottom line
As tempting as it is to have yet another good reason to enjoy some chocolate, sadly the idea that chocolate is an aphrodisiac isn’t backed by science. And you can see how data can be manipulated!
But it’s not all doom and gloom… 70+% dark chocolate is a good source of polyphenols (health-promoting plant chemicals), linked with lower blood pressure and may even help boost our brainpower. What’s not to love!
Like all foods, go for moderation!
