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CHOCOLATES

WHAT IS CHOCOLATE AND HOW IS IT MADE?

           Chocolate is the most popular sweet treat in the world. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, people around the world consume more than 3 million tons of cocoa beans a year. And, not only does eating chocolate make you feel good, it may also be good for your heart and for your brain. Find out why!

           Chocolate is prepared from the fruit of the Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree which means “Food of the Gods” in Greek. For your information, Theobroma cacao trees thrive in hot, humid areas within about 20 degrees of the equator, according to Cornell University Library.

           Now, how are chocolates made? Cacao seeds are harvested by hand. Why? Because machines could injure the trees. Workers remove the pods, and open them with a machete. The seeds then are placed in a large fermentation trays that are stacked and covered in banana leaves, where they are left for two to seven days.

           Did you that fermentation produces the flavor and aroma of chocolates? Now you know. After fermenting, the beans dry out on sunny platforms for 3-5 days. Sun drying makes the beans taste the best. After this process, the beans are now taken to the chocolate factory, where they are cleaned and debris is removed.

           In the chocolate factory, the beans are roasted in a large, rotating ovens. The roasting draws out flavor and removes the beans from their hulls. To completely remove the hulls, the beans are put into a winnowing machine. The remaining part of the bean is called nib. Nibs become chocolate.

           The nibs are ground down under a series of rollers. This process results in a thick paste called chocolate liquor (points out the pic in the slide). At this stage, the type of chocolate being produced is determined. According to the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA), ingredients separate fine chocolates from that of average quality.

           “Fine chocolate”, as designated by the FCIA, contains only cacao liquor, cacao butter, sugar, lecithin, vanilla, and possibly milk fats and solids. Additional flavors or ingredients like nuts can be added if desired.

TYPES OF CHOCOLATE

           According to Williams, chocolate falls into three categories: the dark chocolates, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Dark chocolate has chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar, and vanilla while milk chocolate has all of the stated ingredients plus milk fats and milk solids and white chocolate contains everything milk chocolate does except chocolate liquor.

           Fun fact! Chocolatiers debate whether white chocolate is really a chocolate. Why? Because it does not contain a chocolate liquor. In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considered white chocolate a confectionary rather than chocolate. The FDA also acknowledges several grades of chocolate which are the bittersweet, semisweet, and dark milk chocolate.

           The type of chocolate depends on what ingredients are present and the percentage of cocoa, in addition, to where the beans are from and the way they are prepared. Did you know that chocolate is not just for pleasure? It also has health benefits for the heart, for the brain, and for a person’s mood.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE

           Good heart food- chocolate consumption can reduce risk of heart problems. Moderate chocolate intake may also have a benefit in preventing coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A study suggests that eating an ounce of chocolate at least 5 times a week may help prevent the risk of coronary artery disease. In addition, chocolate may also help prevent the development of atrial fibrillation- a type of irregular heartbeat.

           Good brain food- a study found out that chocolate consumption might lower the risk of cognitive decline in older people. The study looked at nearly 400 Portuguese citizens over age 65 and saw that those who ate a moderate amount of chocolate- one chocolate snack a week- decreased their risk of cognitive decline by 40% over two years.

           Good mood food- chocolate is often associated with positive effects on mood, but the reasons why it makes some people feel good are debatable. Chocolate contains substances that stimulate the brain in the same way cannabis does, such as anandamines, and substances that have similar effects as amphetamine, such as tyramine and phenylethylamine, according to the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science.

           Chocolate may also interact with neurotransmitter systems that contribute to appetite, reward and mood regulation, such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, according to a study in 2013.

HEALTH RISKS OF EATING CHOCOLATE

           Like many foods, chocolate is healthiest when eaten in moderation. The sugars and fats that are added to chocolate make it high in calories, which may lead to weight gain. Furthermore, many of the protective effects that chocolate may offer might be mitigated by overconsumption.

           In addition to weight gain, eating large amount of chocolate might also cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can as well cause allergic skin reactions, constipation, and might trigger migraine headaches.

CONCLUSION

           Now, why chocolate? Others might say that it is a food that they find delicious, romantic, and good for them. People love chocolate primarily because it tastes good. Chocolate satisfies the innate preference for sweets and fats. But even if chocolate delights our stomach, it is still important that we consider the risks it may cause their health.

           Most people love chocolate so much that they think eating it every day is not only acceptable, but rather a great idea. Chocolate is indeed irresistible but if you do not want the idea of not eating it again, better be aware of the consequences overconsumption might cause.

           Chocolate makes us happy in so many ways, but it also does so much more. Not only that it is a good brain food, good heart food, and good mood food, it also makes us feel like we are sophisticated (because yes, sometimes we need to create that illusion). Well for some, chocolate can basically solve their problems, so I hope it does the same to you!            

           So now you have read what chocolate is, how it is made, its types, the health benefits of chocolate, as well as the health risks of eating chocolate. Now that you are informed, always keep in mind that chocolate consumption should just be moderate to avoid the risk factors for many diseases.