Compounds Also Present In Alcoholic Beverages May Explain Chocolate Cravings. ‘A Spanish researcher has a new clue to what motivates “chocoholics”:

a group of chemicals that might contribute to the good feelings

associated with binging on the tasty treat. The finding is reported in the

current (October 16) issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry… The researchers are the first to find that ordinary cocoa and chocolate

bars contain a group of alkaloids known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines,

according to Tomas Herraiz, a researcher at the Spanish Council for

Scientific Research in Madrid, Spain. In previous research, the same

chemicals were linked to alcoholism, he said. The family of

compounds, which are also known as neuroactive alkaloids, continues

to be investigated for possible influences on mood and behavior.”