I t was a hunch, little more, that launched Daniele Piomelli and his coworkers on their search for marijuanalike compounds in chocolate. But their intuition paid off. These neuropharmacologists not only found one such cannabinoid, but perhaps more importantly, they also turned up two related chemicals that they believe could provide therapeutic insights into treating a host of ails, including depression.
Chocolate is one of the world's most widespread passions.
The typical Swiss eats more than 21 pounds of this candy each year. Even the average Belgian or Brit downs some 16 pounds annually, and here in the United States, consumption weighs in at roughly 11.5 pounds per year. In susceptible individuals, for instance, it can fuel an addictionlike desire, especially among people who exercise excessively, such as dancers. There's some hints that chocolate may possess natural analgesic properties, Drewnowski says. His own studies indicate that eating high-fat, chocolate foods can trigger the brain's production of natural opiates.