Dark Chocolate
As the benefits of exotic foods and beverages like wine and dark chocolates are unfold, many people flock to these foods. Not-drinkers are tempted to drink and not-chocolate lovers begin to hunt for the best brands, all in an attempt to boost their health. Not only this but chocoholics and alcoholics seem to legitimize their indulgences. That when facts need to be straightened.
Chocolates contain more than 400 different compounds. Chocolates particularly the dark variety has been found by researchers to contain phenolic compounds called plant secondary metabolites. These phenolic compounds are also found in other fruits and vegetables, wine and tea etc. plant secondary metabolites are also known for their special health benefits including antioxidant activity, preventing oxidation of bad cholesterol, anticancer effects, lowering blood pressure and inhibition of platelet activity and inflammation.
They also boost the immune system. Other benefits of chocolate include their mood elevating and stress relieving effects. Chocolate is believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. These are largely due to substances called ethyl amine. The smooth "melt in the mouth"consistency along with caffeine may also help elevate mood.
No wonder women are known to use it as a fix for their premenstrual stress! Chocolate contain significant amount of caffeine and a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate contains more caffeine than a cup of instant coffee. Chocolate also provides magnesium and some iron. Magnesium is good for bones and helps control food cravings. The cocoa tree's scientific name is The Drinking Chocolate. While all cocoa powder, dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate come from the cocoa tree, the difference in their composition and processing gives them their unique characteristics.
The cocoa beans when cracked are called nibs. These are powdered and the heat generated melts the fat. The suspension is called chocolate liquor. For making cocoa powder, the fat is squeezed out and remaining solids are dried into powder called cocoa. Cocoa powder does not contain much fat and give the same benefits as dark chocolates.
Chocolate liquor can be solidified with cocoa butter, without the addition of sugar, to form unsweetened chocolates also called dark or bitter chocolates, often also called luxury or continental chocolates. Dark chocolates have a higher percentage of cocoa solids, at least 75 per cent with a little added sugar. In unsweetened varieties of dark chocolates, cocoa solids may be as high as 98 percent. It is these varieties which have been used in research studies and found to have heart-protective and health benefits.
Chocolate liquor can be mixed with sugar and fat to produce plain sweet chocolate also used for cooking, or it may be processed with sugar, milk and cocoa butter to produce milk chocolates. These have a very high sugar content-up to 50 per cent-and only about 20 per cent cocoa solids. Also it can contain up to 5 per cent vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a neutral fat and does not increase blood cholesterol levels. However, in excess it can cause undesirable weight gain and associated complications. White chocolate is purely cocoa butter, sugar, flavor, milk and contains no special health benefits unlike dark chocolates.
So next time you indulge yourself, ensure you go for the highest percentage of coca solids, give it a miss if the label says hydrogenated fats. Remember you get about 500 calories in a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate and you can get most of the "plant secondary metabolites" benefits from brightly colored vegetables and fruits for only a fraction.
The University of Laguila also did a study.
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Chocolates contain more than 400 different compounds. Chocolates particularly the dark variety has been found by researchers to contain phenolic compounds called plant secondary metabolites. These phenolic compounds are also found in other fruits and vegetables, wine and tea etc. plant secondary metabolites are also known for their special health benefits including antioxidant activity, preventing oxidation of bad cholesterol, anticancer effects, lowering blood pressure and inhibition of platelet activity and inflammation.
They also boost the immune system. Other benefits of chocolate include their mood elevating and stress relieving effects. Chocolate is believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. These are largely due to substances called ethyl amine. The smooth "melt in the mouth"consistency along with caffeine may also help elevate mood.
No wonder women are known to use it as a fix for their premenstrual stress! Chocolate contain significant amount of caffeine and a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate contains more caffeine than a cup of instant coffee. Chocolate also provides magnesium and some iron. Magnesium is good for bones and helps control food cravings. The cocoa tree's scientific name is The Drinking Chocolate. While all cocoa powder, dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate come from the cocoa tree, the difference in their composition and processing gives them their unique characteristics.
The cocoa beans when cracked are called nibs. These are powdered and the heat generated melts the fat. The suspension is called chocolate liquor. For making cocoa powder, the fat is squeezed out and remaining solids are dried into powder called cocoa. Cocoa powder does not contain much fat and give the same benefits as dark chocolates.
Chocolate liquor can be solidified with cocoa butter, without the addition of sugar, to form unsweetened chocolates also called dark or bitter chocolates, often also called luxury or continental chocolates. Dark chocolates have a higher percentage of cocoa solids, at least 75 per cent with a little added sugar. In unsweetened varieties of dark chocolates, cocoa solids may be as high as 98 percent. It is these varieties which have been used in research studies and found to have heart-protective and health benefits.
Chocolate liquor can be mixed with sugar and fat to produce plain sweet chocolate also used for cooking, or it may be processed with sugar, milk and cocoa butter to produce milk chocolates. These have a very high sugar content-up to 50 per cent-and only about 20 per cent cocoa solids. Also it can contain up to 5 per cent vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a neutral fat and does not increase blood cholesterol levels. However, in excess it can cause undesirable weight gain and associated complications. White chocolate is purely cocoa butter, sugar, flavor, milk and contains no special health benefits unlike dark chocolates.
So next time you indulge yourself, ensure you go for the highest percentage of coca solids, give it a miss if the label says hydrogenated fats. Remember you get about 500 calories in a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate and you can get most of the "plant secondary metabolites" benefits from brightly colored vegetables and fruits for only a fraction.
The University of Laguila also did a study.
Technorati Tags: chocolate
Labels: chocolate
posted by Catarina at 7:03 AM
