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More about Chocolates!

July 28th, 2011

A lot of people love chocolates but only a few knew facts about this favorite food indulgence. To those who love chocolate, this luscious goodies may be even more beneficial than you think. And to those who know its benefits, there’s even more to learn about our favorite.

I came across this website, Did You Know-Facts, and here’s a re-post on facts about chocolates:

Chocolate is a food item produced from seeds of cocoa tree. It is used in both raw and manufactured forms but raw chocolate is very bitter in its taste and is very rarely used. On the other hand, manufactured chocolate is sweet and is also used in several sweet meats. Chocolate is being produced since centuries and today it is available in every corner of world in any form. Main ingredients of chocolate are caffeine and tryptophan. Latin Africa is said to be the home of chocolate because almost 46% of world’s chocolate production is also done in this region.

1. Origin

The word “chocolate” or “coco” as derived from Aztec word “Xocolatl” and its meaning is “bitter water” which proves that raw chocolate is bitter in its taste and first it was used as a drink.

2. History

Different studies of archaeology show that the cultivation of cocoa trees and production of chocolate has been a part of man’s life from about 1100 BC to 1400 BC.

3. Major producers

Latin Africa, Mexico and south and Central America are the major and oldest producers of cocoa tree.

4. Uses

Chocolate is used in many sweet meats like cakes; ice cream, chocolate bars etc. It is also used in drinks. These products are very famous in children specifically.

5. Events:

Since past 20-30 years, chocolate has been the main part of every event like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas, Eid etc. people present chocolates in different shapes to greet one another.

6. Healthy food:

Chocolate contains a content named theobromine, which acts like a cough medicine. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that keep the human blood pressure in limit and protects from heart diseases. Chocolate is also helpful for nervous system because it keeps the nerves relaxed.

7. Side effects

Sometimes chocolate works as an addictive like other intoxicants, so it is hard to get rid of it easily. Medical studies say that the processed chocolates contains different acids like Stearic and amino acid and small quantity of lead also that are, obviously, not good for health. It is also a rich calorie food, so is bad for heart.

8. Center of attention

Chocolate has been a center of attention for many artists for many years. Many fantasy movies on chocolate have been produced and many authors have also written on chocolate. One reason of it could be that majority of women and children are fond of chocolate.

9. Life of chocolate

Though chocolate’s melting point is human body temperature but it can be saved (without freezing it) for one year.

10. Chocolate ads

A survey from Oxford University shows that almost 50% ladies in Europe like to eat chocolate and watch chocolate ads than going out or watching a serial on TV.

Some facts are weird, though but its a fact. It’s very interesting and an excellent read!

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Posted in Healthy Food Recipes

Tags: Chocolate ads chocolate events Chocolate facts chocolate healthy contents chocolate history chocolate major producers chocolate melting point chocolate origin chocolate side effects chocolate uses Chocolates facts about chocolates

Fight Hunger with Dark Chocolate

June 22nd, 2011

Dark chocolate has many health benefits, including the ability to help you feel fuller. Recently, researchers in Copenhagen found that people who ate dark chocolate had fewer cravings afterwards. Milk chocolate does not offer the same benefit.

The research done at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of Copenhagen, showed that dark chocolate lessens our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. One of the reasons given is that the bitter taste of dark chocolate seems to help the body regulate the appetite. Another reason is that the cocoa butter in chocolate has stearic acid which can help slow digestion and make the stomach stay full longer.

The cocoa butter in chocolate is high in saturated fat, however, one-third of the chocolate’s fat comes from the stearic acid. Although stearic acid is a saturated fat, it does not raise LDL cholesterol (known as the bad cholesterol) as do most other fats. Stearic acid is then converted in the liver to oleic acid, which is a heart healthy, monounsaturated fat. Oleic acid makes up one-third of the total fat.

The darker the chocolate the better. Dark chocolates contain 70 percent cocoa butter, which is what provides the stearic acid. Most of the milk chocolate candy bars that we regulary eat contain only 20 percent cocoa butter. Look for a label that says the chocolate has at least 60 percent pure cocoa – some manufacturers label it ‘bittersweet.’ The higher the percentage of pure cocoa, the less sugar.

If you are shopping for cocoa, instead of bar chocolate, then the label should only say ‘cocoa.’ Many of the hot chocolate, or hot cocoa packaged products that we buy in the supermarket are filled with additives such as partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, and many artificial ingredients. It is better to buy pure cocoa, then add your own sugar and milk (or soy milk or rice milk, etc.).

While dark chocolate has many benefits, such as heart healthy antioxidants, it should be eaten in moderation. Two bites are the equivalent of about 50 calories. However, I do find two bites of dark chocolate to be more than enough to satisfy me. It is the milk chocolate that I can eat so quickly that I am left wondering what happened to the rest of it. It’s gone of course.

The report from LIFE suggested dark chocolate as ideal because it provided healthier fatty acids and many antioxidants. The research was revealed prior to Christmas to encourage people to have a bit of dark chocolate so as not to overeat during the hoidays.

For quality dark chocolate consider fair trade chocolate. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label which is certified by TransFair USA. The label ensures that the workers who harvest and process the beans are paid a living wage and are protected from harmful pesticides.

Also consider dark chocolate with the USDA organic label.

When I lived in S. Korea, dark chocolate was the standard. Some of it was labeled ‘black chocolate.’ If you live anywhere near a Korean supermarket, you will find very high quality bar chocolate at good prices. At no time did I see a label that had high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, or artificial ingredients. But read the label. Ingredients that aren’t allowed in S. Korean may be allowed here.

Enjoy your two bites of dark chocolate!

Article Source: Hubpage.com

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