Are You a Chocoholic

Chocolate

Chocolate is said to be the most commonly craved food in the world. Many kinds of chocolate exist and three key ingredients are used to make different kinds of chocolate. It’s history dates back as far as about 1,500 years ago, but it wasn’t always in the sweet, solid form that we know of today. Back in the Mayan and Aztec civilization, it was made into a bitter drink. There are several myths surrounding chocolate and some interesting facts about it too. There are also some theories that exist about why people crave chocolate. Unlike what people may think, chocolate may actually be good for you, and current research shows that there might be some potential health benefits from chocolate.

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans found on the cacao tree. When these h t t

beans are ground, liquid called chocolate liquor is p : / / w w w . e x p l o

produced. Chocolate liquor is what is used to make r a t o r i u m . e d u / e chocolate. This liquor is made mostly of a fat called x p l o r i n g / e x p l o r

cocoa butter and also contains carbohydrates, proteins, i n g _ c h o c o l a t e / and some mineral matter. The difference between c h o c _ 8 . h t m chocolate and cocoa is the amount of cocoa butter they cocoa beans l contain (“Chocolate”). Cocoa is said to be chocolate 2

liquor without the cocoa butter (Klausner).

When making chocolate, the first step is to harvest the cocoa pods taken from the cacao trees, which contain the cacao beans. Then the pods are crushed and fermented. This takes about 6 days. When the pods are fermented, the beans are taken h t t p : / / w w out of the pods and then dried. After the beans w . a p h r o d i t e - c h o c are dried, they are then roasted, graded, and o l a t e s . c o . u k / h o w

then ground. This process is how chocolate _ c h o c o l a t e _

Cocoa Pods containing the Cocoa Beans m a d

liquor, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter are e . h t m produced (“A History of Chocolate”). With these three ingredients, different kinds of chocolate are made (“Chocolate”). Different kinds of chocolates have different amounts of chocolate liquor, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, and they also have different amounts of sugar and flavorings (Klausner). Some of the chocolates produced are milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, dark bittersweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and white chocolate (“Chocolate”). The chocolates with the highest amount of chocolate liquor include dark bittersweet and semisweet chocolate. Milk chocolate has milk and more sugar, which is different from the bittersweet and semisweet kind. The chocolate we refer to as the white chocolate is technically not chocolate because it has no chocolate liquor in it. It is made with cocoa butter, milk and sugar (Klausner). In the U.S. there 3

are regulations manufacturers must follow when making chocolate. These regulations belong to the Definitions and Standards of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law of 1944. With milk chocolate, the law says that it cannot contain less than 12% milk and cannot contain less than 10% chocolate liquor. Other ingredients can be added but they must comply with the regulations. With sweet chocolate, the difference is it has no milk. It also cannot contain less than 15% chocolate liquor. Dark bittersweet chocolate cannot contain less than 35% chocolate liquor, and baking chocolate has no sweeteners and no milk (“Chocolate”).

The history of chocolate goes back to about 1,500 years ago when the Mayans used the cocoa beans taken from cacao trees and crushed it into an unsweetened cold beverage. The cacao trees were first discovered in the South American rain forests

(Klausner). The Mayans took these trees

from the rainforest and grew it for

themselves. They harvested, fermented,

roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste.

The unsweetened chocolate beverage was

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/07/17/coolsc.chocolate cacao tree with cacao fruit a spicy chocolate drink that was made by

mixing water, Chile peppers, cornmeal, 4

cocoa beans, and some other ingredients (“All About Chocolate”). Both the words

“cacao” and “chocolate” come from Mayan and Aztec languages (“Chocolate”). Cacao means “God food.” The Mayans believed that the Cacao Trees came from a “divine” origin and came to worship these trees very much. They used the drink in ceremonies, such as religious and h t t p : / / burial ceremonies, and w w w . f m n h . o r g

it was also drunk by / c h o c o l a t e / h i s t people in the upper o r y . h t m l class, including the This scene painted on an ancient Maya vessel reveals how the people drank chocolate as a beverage and often presented it to their gods as an offering. wealthy and the religious elite. Not only did the Mayans prize the cacao beans but the

Aztec did as well. The Aztecs were unable to grow the cacao tree because of the climate, so they came across the cacao beans through trade (“A History of Chocolate”).

Within these two civilizations, cacao beans played an important role. Not only were the beans used to make a drink, but it was used as a form of currency (“Chocolate”). The

Aztecs named the spicy chocolate drink xocolatl, which means bitter water (Klausner).

Francisco X Alarcon of the University of California said that the Aztecs sang, “I drink chocolate, it makes me happy, my heart rejoices” (“Chocolate Sweet for the Heart,

Research Shows”). The Aztec emperor, Montezuma loved xocolatl very much and is 5

said to have drank it fifty times a day in a gold goblet (“A History of Chocolate”). He also asked his people to pay him with cacao beans. He was reported to have taken the spicy chocolate drink before visiting his wives. Historians say that this might have been where the legends of chocolate being an aphrodisiac began (Walton).

Chocolate was first brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistador, Hernan

Cortes (“A History of Chocolate”). Cortes described chocolate as “the divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue” (Klausner). When it was brought back, the conquistadors had learned how to make the drink more suitable for European tastes.

They mixed sugar and vanilla to remove the bitterness of the original drink (“A History of Chocolate”). When Spanish explorers first came across the drink, they didn’t care for it because of its bitterness but after having sweetened the drink, it spread from Spanish courts to other European courts. Unlike the original drink, which was served cold, they served the drink hot. This chocolate drink was usually served to royal guests

(“Chocolate”). Because xocolatl was so difficult for the Spanish explorers to pronounce, they called it “chocolat” (“A History of Chocolate”). Also in Europe, the chocolate drink was later prescribed to people for depression and was made into love and death potions because the bitter taste covered up the poisons (Klausner).

In 1720, Corolus Linnaeus who was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist gave 6

the cacao tree a scientific name called Theobroma Cacao which means “cacao, the food of the gods.” The first solid eating chocolate was believed to have been sold in England in the mid-1800s. In the late 18th century, French and Dutch processors experimented with chocolate liquid, which lead to the production of chocolate powder, which then led to the production of the first solid chocolate (“Chocolate”).

Many myths surround chocolate. These myths include it’s a cause of acne, it’s high in cholesterol, it causes tooth decay, it’s high in caffeine, it causes weight gain, and it’s addictive. Studies have been done to see if chocolate can cause acne and researchers have that there is no relationship between chocolate and acne. As for chocolate being high in cholesterol, chocolate is actually low in cholesterol and is low in animal fat. In a 1.65 ounce chocolate bar, it contains about 12 milligrams of cholesterol (“Chocolate

May Be Better For You Than You Think”). Tooth decay is also not caused by chocolate.

Although chocolate is high in sugar, studies have found it’s not as big as a problem as once thought, and tooth decay is mostly from poor hygiene (“Chocolate Myths and

Facts”). Chocolate is also not high in caffeine. If you compare a one ounce milk chocolate bar to a 5 ounce cup of instant coffee, the milk chocolate has less caffeine.

The milk chocolate has only about 6 milligrams of caffeine while the instant coffee has between 40 and 108 milligrams of caffeine. Chocolate also does not cause weight gain 7

when taken in moderation. Actually, when on a diet it is said to be good to have something sweet. A dietician, Annette B. Natow said “An occasional sweet treat helps you stick to a healthy eating plan” (“Chocolate May Be Better For You Than You

Think”). As for chocolate being addictive, there are some people who say that they are addicted to chocolate, and call themselves “chocoholics”, but the characteristic of an addiction such as tolerance and withdrawal and chemical changes in the brain, are not associated with eating chocolate. These people who call themselves chocoholics are just experiencing cravings and a strong desire for chocolate (“Chocolate Information

Center”).

The amount of chocolate Americans h t

t p : / / w w w . c

h consume is over 3.1 billion pounds of chocolate o c o l a t e i n f o . c o

m every year, which is about 11.7 pounds per person. / s r / s r _ a r t i c l e

_ A study done by Mintel, which is a market research 2 4 . j s p

An Assortment of Different Chocolates firm based in London, found that milk chocolate is the most popular among Americans. About 37% of Americans say they like dark chocolate and about 26% say they like white chocolate (Yin). Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals (“The Sweet Lure of Chocolate”). One of the chemicals chocolate contains is flavanols, which is an antioxidant (“Chocolate Sweet for the Heart, 8

Research Shows”). Researchers at the University of Michigan found that chocolate works inside the brain in the same way that opiate drugs do, which are drugs such as morphine. They found that chocolate stimulates the same part of the brain that morphine does (Barnard). Chocolate is also considered a mood food because it is rich in an amino acid called L-tryptophan. This amino acid can increase levels of serotonin in the brain, which is a calming hormone. Professor Gordon Parker, who is the director of Sydney’s Black Dog Institute, which is a center for training, education, and research into mood disorders, says that “It’s a bit like taking natures own antidepressant”

(Robinson).

Some theories exist on why chocolate is one of the most craved foods around the world. Some researchers believe that the chemical ingredients are the reasons why people crave chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine. Caffeine and theobromine are both stimulants (“Chocolate Information Center”). It’s said that these two chemicals could be the reason why people experience that feeling of well being after eating chocolate (“The Sweet Lure of Chocolate”). Other chemicals found in chocolate include tyramine and pehnylethylamine, which are a central nervous system stimulant, and anandamide (“Chocolate Information Center”) Both tyramine and pehnyletlamine are related to amphetamines, and they increase activity of 9

neurotransmitters in parts of the brain that control the ability to pay attention and stay alert (“The Sweet Lure of Chocolate”). It’s also said that the texture, smell, and sweet tastes of chocolate also contribute to the cravings. Without these sensory elements of chocolate, it was found that people’s chocolate cravings were not satisfied. Another theory on chocolate cravings is that it is influenced by culture. Although there are many theories on why people crave chocolate, there is no conclusive scientific evidence on what the cause is (“Chocolate Information Center”). Also, more research needs to be done in order to understand the full effects that chocolate has on the brain (“The Sweet

Lure of Chocolate”).

Recent research has found that there might be some potential health benefits in chocolate. Researchers at the National Academy of Sciences said that chocolate has chemicals like those found in red wine and green tea that can help improve circulation, lower blood pressure and may have other health benefits (“Chocolate Sweet for the

Heart, Research Shows”). Chocolate contains flavanols, which are antioxidants, which help in preventing the oxidation of “bad” cholesterol. This reduces the stickiness of blood platelets and improves blood vessel elasticity (Kalusner). Although there are potential health benefits in chocolate, scientists say that most of the commercially produced chocolate has high levels of sugar and fat which can outweigh all of the 10

benefits (“Chocolate Has Health Benefits Due to Flavanols”). Also, common processing can reduce the levels of flavanols in the chocolate (“Symposium Yields

Good News for Chocolate Lovers”). Mars Inc. has used the research on chocolate to come up with CocoaVia, which is a low fat, flavonol rich snack. It’s being test marketed now (“Chocolate Has Health Benefits Due to Flavanols”). They developed a method to process cocoa bean so that the chocolate keeps more of their flavanols. Mars

Inc. has named that cocoa Cocoapro, and they now use it in products such as Dove,

M&M’s, and CocoaVia snacks (“Symposium Yields Good News for Chocolate

Lovers”). Also, to get the most flavanols, choosing cocoa that is not processed with alkali and choosing dark chocolate, which has the most chocolate liquor, are good choices (Klausner). In Germany, scientists found that people that ate 100 grams or 3 ounces of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure, but the effect wore off in two days after the treatment ended. Although this was observed, a lot more research needs to be done and also by eating dark chocolate everyday, it increases calorie intake, which may also be more harmful than good (“On Call - Chocolate for Hypertension?”).

Another potential health benefit is scientists found that the chemical theobromine, which is found in chocolate, is more effective in treating coughs than codeine. A study was done and theobromine was compared to a placebo and codeine. If was found that 11

theobromine was actually more effective than both the placebo and the codeine

(“Chocolate Helps Suppress Coughs”).

Chocolates history goes far back through the years, and it has been loved by many. It is the most highly craved food in the world, and current research shows that there are some potential health benefits. Having a little bit of chocolate may be good for you and give you a nice lift but over indulging is not a good idea. Although there are some health benefits, current processing methods of chocolate can take some of those health benefits away, and chocolate contains sugar and fats, so eating it in moderation is the key.

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