W
hen the craving strikes, nothing else will do. The smooth velvety taste and texture of chocolate hitting ones tongue arouses a multitude of sensations and emotions in most of us. It is complicated. According to candy expert and author of Candy Freak, Steve Almond writes chocolate contains more than 1200 compounds and is a very complex food. Just the mere thought of a taste brings a smile to my face and minimizes any stress at the moment. The world-wide love affair with theobroma cacao started long ago and continues to grow. Global consumption of “The Food of the God’s,” aptly named by the ancient Mayans, continues to grow at a rate of three to four percent a year. The average American consumes nearly 12 pounds of chocolate each year. Switzerland leads the world in consumption of the luxurious treat at 19 pounds per person. The British and Norwegians share the number two spot at 17.5 pounds. Men aged 12 to 19 consume the most amount of chocolate. It is what women crave most, especially ladies 30 to 39, the next largest group of chocolate consumers. The majority of chocolate is consumed between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight.
HISTORY If there is a money tree, it would be the cacao tree. The cacao tree, its pods and seeds were first cultivated by the Olmecs, the first major civilization in Mexico at least 1500
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BY SUE BERLINER BC. Raw cacao beans were used as money in ancient Central American cultures. It has been written the Emperor Montezuma filled his vaults with more than 40,000 loads or 960,000,000 beans. So what is chocolate? While the seeds are no longer used as money, it is still a valuable commodity today. Are there benefits to eating one of the most popular food types on the planet? I have always considered chocolate it is own food group and with the recent addition of neophyte chocolatier to my resume, I needed to get intimate with scoop on this alluring food. Here is just a fraction of what my research uncovered.
THE CACAO TREE An attractive evergreen tree, it grows from 12 to 25 feet high with a 4 to 6 feet high stem and branching at the top. The tree blossoms with pink and white flowers that grow straight from the trunk and main branches. Only a few of the hundreds of blossoms develop into cacao pods that also grow straight from the trunk and branches. The pods grow to the size of a melon in about four months and range in color from yellow to dark red. Inside are about 30-50 cacao beans, one inch long, reddishbrown externally, dark-brown internally, surrounded by a sticky white pulp.
CACAO TO CHOCOLATE The beans and pulp are removed and set in big piles to ferment naturally for about a
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week. Then the beans are dried in the sun and shipped to chocolate factories and other suppliers. Typically the beans are cleaned and roasted at a very high temperature. Unroasted beans and the byproducts are referred to as cacao or raw chocolate. Then the hulls are removed and what remains is the nib (containing an average of 54% cocoa butter) that is ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor. The paste is pressed and the fatty cocoa butter separated from the cocoa mass. For cocoa powder, the mass is ground into a fine powder. Sugar and cocoa butter are added to the mass to make dark chocolate. The addition of milk solids makes it milk chocolate. The next step is conching for most chocolate. Huge machines with rotating blades slowly blend the heated liquor for 12 to 72 hours. Small amounts of cocoa butter and sometimes lecithin are added to give chocolate its smooth, creamy texture. Finally it is tempered, a cooling process, and then poured into molds.
A SUPERFOOD? In March of 2011, Harvard researchers reported cocoa may actually have significant health benefits. Their analysis of 21 studies with 2,575 participants showed that cocoa consumption is associated with decreased blood pressure, blood vessel health and improvement in cholesterol levels. Via webmd.com, Eric L. Ding, PhD, of Harvard Medical School said the apparent
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health benefits cone from polyphenolic flavonoids (antioxidants) in cocoa that have the potential to prevent heart disease. The analysis also showed the flavonoid-rich cocoa decreased “bad” LDL cholesterol among people under age 50, and increased good HDL cholesterol. In addition, cocoa consumption was also linked to reductions in risk factors for diabetes -- a major risk factor itself for cardiovascular disease. Their analysis also found consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa did not change triglyceride levels of study participants or make them obese. An analysis of 7 studies including more than 100,000 subjects published by the British Medical Journal in August 2011 reported similar results. The seven studies looked at the consumption of a variety of chocolate — candies and candy bars, chocolate drinks, cookies, desserts and nutritional supplements. By many measures, consumption of chocolate was linked to lower rates of stroke, coronary heart disease, blood pressure and other cardiovascular condition. However they did not find a beneficial effect on the risk for heart failure or diabetes. In February 2011, The Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition published their report: Cacao Seeds are a Super Fruit: comparative analysis of various fruit powders and products. The conclusion from their study: Various fruit powders and retail fruit products were obtained and analyzed for antioxidant capacity (ORAC (µM TE/g)), total polyphenol content (TP (mg/g)), and total flavanol content (TF (mg/g)). Among the various powders that were tested, cocoa powder was the most concentrated source of ORAC and TF. Similarly, dark chocolate was a significantly more concentrated source of ORAC and TF than the fruit juices. Analysis of the fruit powders demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity) of cocoa powder (634 ± 33 µMTE/g) was significantly greater than blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate powder on a per gram basis. The total polyphenol content of cocoa powder (48.2 ± 2.1 mg/g) appeared to be greater than acai, blueberry, and cranberry powder; however these differences did not reach statistical significance. The total flavanol content of cocoa powder (30.1 ± 2.8 mg/g) was significantly greater than all of the other fruit powders tested. There were no other statistically significant differences in antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol, or total flavanol content between any of the other fruit powders tested.
CHOCOLATE IN THE RAW As with most plant based food, the closer you come to consuming it in its natural state, the more nutrient dense it will be. Aside from heart health, chocolate is considered a brain food. From the book Raw Food, Real World, authors Matthew Kenney
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and Sarma Melngailis describe raw cacao beans “They are to the brain what blueberries are to the body—a superfood containing more than 300 chemicals many of them resembling our natural brain lipids, raw cacao has so many healing, feel good properties that even mass market candy companies are beginning to add it to their commercially cooked products. Happy pills in deed.” David Wolfe, considered an expert on nutrition and author of Eating for Beauty provides an extensive list of some of the chemicals and compounds the cacao bean contains in his book Naked Chocolate. He considers it one of the most complex foods on Earth. On his website sacredchocolate. com in his Chocolate Ebook he calls out specific substances scientific literature reports as pharmacologically significant: anandamide (bliss chemical), argine (natures Viagra,) dopamine (neurotransmitter), epicatechins (antioxidants), histamine, magnesium, serotonin (anti-stress neurotransmitter), tryptophan (antidepressant amino acid), phenylethylamine (PEA, the love chemical), polyphenols (antioxidants), tyramine and salsolinal. In Naked Chocolate he notes 80% of the US population is deficient in magnesium yet is one of the most important minerals with cacao being the greatest source for it in nature. It is needed for brain function. A lack of magnesium and B vitamins reduces production of dopamine. Wolfe also writes it is essential to the pituitary gland which plays a role in balancing a host of hormones. Wolfe’s own research (sacredchocolates. com) done at Brunswick Laboratories indicated that cacao has 15 times as many antioxidants than blueberries and 20 times what is found in red wine and 30 times what
is present in green tea. This would coincide with the Hershey report and others.
IS THE CRAVING FOR THE FEEL GOOD FOOD REAL? Phenylethylamine (PEA) found in chocolate triggers feelings similar to falling in love. Chocolate also contains the compound anadamide that stimulates brain receptors in a manner similar to that of other addictive substances. The Yale New Haven Hospital website reports (ynhh.org) “Chocolate cravings may also be triggered when the taste buds tingle with the taste of chocolate. This sensation occurs because chocolate’s melting point is 97 degrees, just below body temperature. When the taste buds are excited, endorphins are released from the brain. These endorphins are the body’s “feel good” chemical. There is also a link between hormonal fluctuations in women and chocolate cravings. Scientists cannot pinpoint what exactly causes us to crave chocolate, but many of these ideas propose that chocolate cravings are real.”
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING. While some have reported issues with eating chocolate, there is currently no scientific support showing that eating chocolate is bad for you. As with any food, especially those deemed superfoods, eating it in moderation is a good idea. I would not substitute your fruits and veggies for “The Food of the Gods.” Think about shifting away from simple carbohydrate rich snacks. Do look for chocolates treats made with less sugar or unrefined sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or agave nectar. It’s a balancing act to maintain the love affair without the love handles. S
THE CHOCOLATE JITTERS? It is complicated. The research is thin on caffeine in chocolate. In Wolfe’s Chocolate Ebook he distinguish between two methylxanthines: theobromine and caffeine. He points out, contrary to public perception, that cacao contains the stimulant theobromine but almost no caffeine. He writes that theobromine stimulates the cardiovascular system, relaxes smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels, supporting the medically reported heart health benefits of chocolate. Listed below are theobromine and caffeine counts in various products found at nutritiondata.com: PRODUCT Dark Chocolate 45-59% cacao solids Chocolate dark 60-69% cacao solids Dark Chocolate 70-85% cacao solids Cacao Powder Cocoa Powder Brewed coffee Decaffeinated brewed coffee Black Tea Cola, carbonated beverage
AMOUNT 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz 8 oz 8 oz 8 oz 12 oz
CALORIES 152 162 168 65 64 2 0 2 136
THEOBROMINE 138 mg 177 mg 225 mg 493 mg 576 mg 0 mg 0 mg 4.7 mg 0 mg
CAFFEINE 12.0 mg 24.1 mg 22.4 mg 55.16 mg 64.4 mg 94.8 mg 2.4 mg 47.4 mg 9.4 mg
When looking at specific candy bars like Dove Dark and Milk Chocolate, caffeine and theobromine numbers were not available. However mayoclinic.com stated nine Hershey Kisses contained 9 mg of caffeine.
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