CHOCOLATE – THE GOOD AND THE BAD!
HISTORY :-
If you can not imagine a life without chocolate, you are lucky you weren’t born before 16th century. Until then chocolate only existed in Mesoamerica, in a form quite different from what we know today. Around 1900 BCE, people have found a way to prepare the beans. They grounded the beans, mixed with cornmeal and red chilli peppers to prepare a hot and invigorating concoction.
In 1519, the first transatlantic supply of cocoa bean took place when Spanish merchants visited the court of Moctezuma. When the missionaries returned back with strange these beans, they were used as a medicine due to it’s bitter taste.
With due time, grounded beans were sweetened with sugar, honey or vanilla, it’s taste enhanced. Soon not a single household was not complete with this delicacy.
In 1878, the world would change for better with the invention of Van Houten. The machine could extract the cocoa butter from the liquid cocoa. This left a powdered cocoa, which could be mixed to form solid chocolate. This way present day chocolate was created.
With the growing demand for chocolate, cocoa plantation shifted to West Africa. Cote d’Ivoire produces two-fifths of the world’s cocoa as of 2015.
Present day –
Due to it’s unique taste and advertisements by the colonials, chocolate became to be viewed as a delicacy. However, it has received mixed reviews recently due to it’s high fat and sugar content.
Few research groups have stated that’s not all bad news. The anti-oxidants found in chocolate may confer some health benefits. It is believed that chocolate has anti-ageing properties. This is a hot area of research, in which scientists are engaging.
Before jumping into advantages and disadvantages of , we need to learn about different types of chocolate. There are dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Recent studies shed light on health benefits of dark chocolate because it is the most unrefined form of chocolate. While Cadbury’s and snickers are milk chocolates. These have high sugar content, which provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
Due to it’s unique taste and advertisements by the colonials, chocolate became to be viewed as a delicacy. However, it has received mixed reviews recently due to it’s high fat and sugar content.
Few research groups have stated that’s not all bad news. The anti-oxidants found in chocolate may confer some health benefits. It is believed that chocolate has anti-ageing properties. This is a hot area of research, in which scientists are engaging.
Before jumping into advantages and disadvantages of , we need to learn about different types of chocolate. There are dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.
What is the best chocolate to have?
Now that you’re clear about different types of chocolate; you might ask which is the best one ?
Dark chocolate has the highest level of flavonoids, an anti-oxidants. I am talking about 75 % cacao or more. 85 % or higher provides the best benefits but 75 % does the work.
Now that you’re clear about different types of chocolate; you might ask which is the best one ?
Benefits :-
1) It may reduce risk of heart disease :-
Dark chocolate is the storehouse of phytonutrients, basically anti-oxidants. These compounds may improve heart health. It is also a rich source of iron, magnesium, zinc and copper. They provide additional benefits.
2) Chocolates is a stress buster :-
Chocolates might interact with neurotransmitters just like cannabis. They regulate the mood and appetite. Some scientists suggests the effects are due to its taste rather than its chemical constituents.
Although, such effects are debatable. Solid evidences that support the claim are yet to be known.
Chocolates might interact with neurotransmitters just like cannabis. They regulate the mood and appetite. Some scientists suggests the effects are due to its taste rather than its chemical constituents.
3) May be good brain food :-
The flavanols in dark chocolate relaxes the arteries and improve blood flow to the brain. This in turn enhances the cognitive function in us. In the short term, it corrects mild speech impairment and verbal fluency.
Disadvantages:-
1) Sugar content :-
Be it white or dark chocolate, it still has sugar. Because of it’s bitter taste, you’ll eat more; as a result sugar intake will exceed the daily dosage. Your body will convert this extra sugar into fats.
2) May become an addiction :-
Well, dark chocolate and drugs work in a similar way. Don’t get me wrong here. Both of these improves the hormone level and elevate mood. There is a tendency you’ll develop withdrawal symptoms once you stop consuming chocolate. The symptoms can be mild yet clear.
3) It has caffeine :-
Dark chocolate has considerable amount of caffeine. In large doses, it negatively effects our body. Insomnia, increased heart rate, anxiety issues are some preliminary symptoms . Hence, huge quantities of dark chocolate can lead to such problems.
If dark chocolate is combined with dairy, it contains saturated fats. Saturated fats are not healthy for our body. Always choose dairy-free dark chocolate.
What should you eat ?
Having a couple bars of dark chocolate once a day is optimal. Dark chocolate has varieties, some have low content of cocoa and some high. To reap the benefits, ideally 75% cocoa containing dark chocolate is recommended. Higher the percentage, more nutritious it is.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like bitter taste, sticking to 75% dark chocolate will do you good. It is a calorie-dense delicacy and supposed to be consumed in moderation.
Stay away from the marketing gimmicks that labels milk chocolates as dark chocolates. The former contains saturated fats and is high on sugar levels.
Featured image source: Chocolate wave vector created by vectorpouch – www.freepik.com
