A study revealed that the sensation that chocolate causes when it melts on the tongue causes this food to be so addictive for some people.
Scientists from the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, discovered in an experiment carried out with an artificial tongue that the reason why eating chocolate produces an irresistible sensation for many is the sensation it causes when it melts on the tongue.
And that it is the fat in the chocolate that plays a key role when a piece of chocolate comes into contact with the tongue.
The bit of chocolate, brought to mouth temperature, transforms into a smooth emulsion, releasing solid cocoa particles and a fatty film that coats the tongue, says research published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
This study, which also discovered that the fat that settles on the tongue comes from the outer layer of chocolate and not from the inner layer, suggests that healthy tablets can be designed.
And for this, the researchers suggest that chocolate bars have a type of fat content gradient inside, with a high-fat coating.
