ENGLAND — Countless women throughout history, fed up with the often confusing bee dance associated with romancing the opposite (or even same) sex, have sworn off the practice in favor of more pleasurable pursuits; chief among them: indulging in the creamy and satisfying goodness of chocolate. Now an English research team thinks they know why.It really is more exciting than sex; four times as exciting as kissing, to be exact.

While scorned and frustrated lovers may not be surprised, neurophysiologist, one-time Sussex University academic, and study lead Dr. David Lewis was.

“These results really surprised and intrigued us,” he confessed, suggesting that his staff may have had exceptional good fortune in the love department. “While we fully expected chocolate – especially dark chocolate – to increase heart rates due to the fact it contains some highly stimulating substances, both the length of the increase, together with the powerful effects it had on the mind, were something none of us had anticipated.”

What Lewis and his cohorts discovered was that the thrill of feeling an as yet unavailable for retail sale Cadbury dark chocolate called Deeply Dark melt on the tongue literally lasted up to four times as long as the thrill of embracing and locking lips with someone “special.” This was revealed by serving dark chocolate and kisses to young volunteers whose heads and hearts were each hooked up to electrodes. Presumably, the chocolate and the kisses were not both administered by Lewis and/or his associates.

The 20-something volunteers indulged their appetites in a space designed to replicate an office romance, which may seem odd to the vast majority of kissers and chocolate eaters who’ve likely never done one or the other while in an office or with a co-worker.

Interestingly enough, especially for chocolate marketers and lose wondering how to use chocolate to their advantage, is the fact that men and women responded equally to the tests.

The previously skeptical Lewis summed the situation up by saying “There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz — a buzz that, in many cases, lasts four times as long as the most passionate kiss.”

Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, and a number of other stimulants, including phenylethylamine, which the body just happens to naturally produce when people fall in love.