When people think of Valentine’s Day gifts they automatically think of chocolate, flowers, love hearts, and teddy bears.
Some Valentine’s Day gifts have been said to have a scientific drive towards romancing. Owing to the fact that gift giving is a social event, the scientifically proven factor to it is that it releases oxytocin which is a neuropeptide that signals trust safety and connection. How then does chocolate, wine, among other gifts elevate a person’s mood, better yet, makes them feel horny?
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate, a universally loved treat is coincidentally is a popular gift for Valentine’s Day, given its association with love and romance. People often exchange boxes of chocolates or chocolate-covered treats with their loved ones on Valentine’s Day
In Ghana, Valentine’s Day is also chocolate day. It’s quite interesting that chocolate has taken such importance during valentines given that chocolate was initially just for men to boost virility and only became available to women in the 1900s.
Cupids, angels, and flowers had all entered the romantic lexicon by the 1800s, but it took the genius of Richard Cardbury to bring chocolate and Valentine’s Day together and hence improve the marketability of chocolates.
Chocolate and women have been inextricably linked for centuries, with both popular culture and scientific research indicating that women seek and consume roughly twice as much chocolate as males.
People tend to gift chocolates to their lovers based on a popular belief that chocolate can increase sexual desire, but there is limited scientific evidence to support this claim. Chocolate stimulates the release of serotonin and also contains a compound called phenyl ethylamine (PEA) that can affect brain chemistry and produce feelings of pleasure, excitement, and euphoria. A study done also showed that people tend to associate individuals who consistently gift them chocolates with feelings of pleasure.
Not many people are aware that chocolate is regarded as an aphrodisiac food, releasing brain soothing chemicals which increase energy and desire levels. Chocolate is proven to produce a natural high which elevates a person’s mood and this is often equated to feeling in love.
It goes without saying that giving chocolate as a gift is a great idea for Valentine’s Day.
WINE
Another gift that is commonly given on Valentine’s Day is wine. One of Euripides’ famous quotes says that where there is no wine, there is no love. In popular culture anytime a couple share a bottle of wine, sparks fly and the woman unexpectedly becomes horny. Research has shown that people who regularly consume wine have a greater sexual urge than those who drink other alcoholic beverages. Also men who drink red wine have greater testosterone levels than those who do not consume wine hence have a higher libido. Wine contains quercetin which inhibits removal of testosterone from the body, and hence makes you hornier. In women wine causes increased blood flow to the erogenous zones, hence increasing sensitivity and arousal. This further buttresses Ovid’s point about how wine prepares the heart for love, unless you take too much.
TEDDY BEARS
Teddy Bears are another category of gifts given during Valentine’s Day. Apparently, the bigger the bear, the bigger the love. Teddy bears are a source of companionship and comfort in moments where your partner is alone.
Nothing shouts I love you louder than a well arranged bouquet of flowers. Flowers trigger dopamine and serotonin in your brain which makes you happy. It also causes the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone which increases the level of trust in your relationship.
Most of the gifts given during valentine’s day increase ones likelihood of having sex but surprisingly only one in five couples will make love, and only 19% of single people are likely to frolic and romp, according to evidence that was derived from a study done in the Great Britain. Furthermore 64% admitted feeling more satisfied by a nice dinner and dessert than sex.
Valentine’s Day is a day most people look forward to because it’s a day to celebrate love. The problem is why dedicate just a single day to celebrating love, when we can do that every day.
Authors-Roberta Appiah & Ahanta Bred
