Jews are far more likely to crave chocolate than are Protestants and Catholics. That is just one of the surprising findings of Dr. Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania who surveyed 249 undergraduates and their parents on their desire for chocolate.

In countries where it is eaten, chocolate is undeniably the most often craved food. Its appeal is particularly powerful for premenopausal women. When its components are studied, chocolate appears to be one of the world's most complex foods.Chocolate has more than 400 compounds, twice as many as any other food. Among them are caffeine and theobromine, both of which are stimulants. Chocolate also contains the chemical compounds tyramine and phenylethylamine, both of which tend to be arousing, leading to greater alertness and slightly elevated blood pressure. (Phenylethylamine is the chemical that being in love releases into the brain.)

And chocolate is extremely high in magnesium, an essential mineral also found in grains, nuts and leafy greens that may be lacking in the nation's overall diet. (Especially at risk of deficiency are people who eat a lot of protein, because large amounts of protein work against the absorption of magnesium in the body.) For men, the recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 350 milligrams, and for women, it is 280 milligrams: one ounce of sweet chocolate has 82 milligrams.

All this, and fat and sugar, too: chocolate has both in equal and high amounts. Not to mention its aroma and memorable mouth feel.

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Many people fear that life without chocolate would be a dreary thing indeed, although there is no scientific evidence that serious withdrawal would follow its sudden disappearance.

In an attempt to capture the undeniable but elusive appeal of chocolate, Willa Michener conducted a chocolate experiment in 1992 for her doctoral dissertation in physiological psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Working with chocolate cravers, she tested their responses with an elaborate system of boxes.

Every time a craving hit, the craver was to ingest the contents of one of the boxes, each of which contained one or more major components of chocolate.

Is it surprising to learn that, when the reports were tabulated, the real Hershey Bar beat out all isolated component contenders? The moral seems clear: Accept the mystery. Stand by your chocolate bar.

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