Chocolate The Newest Health Food
You may have already heard that chocolate contains beneficial flavonoids and antioxidants. Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found in plant foods that are full of recognized health benefits. There are more than 4,000 flavonoid compounds, which are a subgroup of a large class called polyphenols. Phenols are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease by helping prevent atherosclerosis. The flavanols in chocolate appear to help the body use nitric oxide, which is crucial for healthy blood flow and blood pressure, which means that chocolate might help reduce hypertension as well.
Red wine is known for its high phenol content, but an average bar of dark chocolate contains more phenols than 8 ounces of red wine. Scientists at Cornell University and Seoul National University examined the cancer-fighting antioxidant content of hot cocoa, red wine, and tea, and found that cocoa had nearly double the antioxidants of red wine and four to five times more than tea.
Holland’s National Institute of Public Health and Environment found that dark chocolate contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are the powerful antioxidants that fight against cancer and help prevent heart disease). By contrast, a cup of black tea contains only about 14 mg of catechins and green tea has about 30 mg of catechins.
A study at University of California Davis found that participants who ate chocolate showed a reduction in platelet activity. This means that chocolate has an anti-clotting, blood-thinning effect that can be compared to aspirin.
A Harvard University study of 8,000, with an average age of 65, revealed that those who consumed chocolate lived almost a year longer than those who did not. Those who ate one to three candy bars per month had a 36 percent lower risk of death (compared to the people who ate no candy), while those who ate three or more candy bars per week had a 16 percent lower risk.
A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its chocolate, showed that those who ate the most chocolate, an equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day, had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death. The researchers also noted the men eating the most cocoa products were not heavier or bigger eaters than the men who ate less cocoa.
And it’s not just dark chocolate that is the only healthy type of chocolate. Most studies talk about the benefits of dark chocolate, but some of the most recent news about chocolate includes good news for milk chocolate lovers, who have been left out in the past.
The Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia did a study that shows that milk chocolate seems to boost brainpower. The groups in the test consumed, on different occasions, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carob and nothing. Then they were tested for cognitive performance including memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving.
According to Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, “Composite scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for milk chocolate than the other conditions.” The study also found that consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time. It seems that by consuming chocolate you get stimulating effects from substances found in chocolate, such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, which then lead to increased mental performance.
Chocolate really does make you feel good, too. It is known to stimulate the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the “runner’s high” a jogger feels after running several miles. Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter, serotonin that acts as an anti-depressant. Studies in England show that even the aroma of chocolate gives a bout of euphoria and will help lift the spirits.
And now people are looking at chocolate for skin care. According to Marlies Spinale, director of Tru Spa, “Like many other antioxidants, cocoa polyphenols are thought to offer the skin protection from free-radical damage caused by sun, pollution, stress, alcohol consumption and other factors. I believe that we will hear more about the benefits of chocolate in skin care.”
Some people have been avoiding chocolate because one of the main ingredients of chocolate is cocoa butter. It was thought that it was an unhealthy fat, but actually cocoa butter is not unhealthy. It is made up of the beneficial fatty acids– oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are healthy forms of saturated fat. Plus chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, C, D, and E, as well as potassium, sodium, and iron.
So go ahead and indulge in a little chocolate, in moderation of course. I would recommend that you try to find organic chocolate, and stick with darker chocolate because it has more chocolate flavonoids and less sugar. (Sugar weakens the immune system; so don’t consume sugar if you are ill.) And a little bit of milk chocolate is alright when you need an occasional milk chocolate brainpower boost, such as before a test. All you students take note!
Chocolate as a health food can life get any better?
Written by nickdivine
Music is my muse, I daydream a lot, I have O.C.D, I am a germ-a-phobe, I love to organize, I don’t like messy.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, Food, Health, Newest
Yes, Chocolate Tastes Good, but it is Very Toxic to Dogs!
In a previous article I mentioned several foods and substances that are unsafe to allow your dog to eat. Dogs don’t always know what is not good for them. Some substances they instinctively know to stay away from because of the smell and or taste. However other foods and substances may actually taste good. This article will focus on chocolate, and why it is harmful to your dog.
The ingredient in chocolate, theobromine, is toxic to dogs. Many years ago, before I knew that chocolate was toxic to dogs, I occasionally shared my M & M’s with my Chow / Labrador Mix. My dog, Frisky, was none the worse for it, as far as I knew. I know now that I was fortunate that my dog did not ingest enough of the theobromine from the milk chocolate in the M & M’s to cause any real harm.
Milk chocolate has 44 mg of theobromine per ounce, and on average it would take between 100 to 150 mg of the toxic substance to be harmful; however, the toxic level can go up or down, depending on the dog’s sensitivity, and the size of the dog.
All chocolates are not equal.
Chocolates come in different forms. White chocolate, is not really chocolate, but it is made from cocoa butter, and it does contain 1 mg of theobromine per ounce. Sweet cocoa has about 20 mg of theobromine per ounce. Milk chocolate is the sweetest. It also has the least theobromine. I mentioned above that milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per ounce. Semi-sweet chocolate, also known as dark chocolate contains 150 mg per ounce, and baker’s chocolate contains a whopping 390 to 450 mg per ounce. You can see by the number of milligrams per ounce how much more concentrated the toxic substance is in each type of chocolate. If your dog walked off with a few of your M & M’s you might not have anything to worry about, but on the other hand, if your Lassie or Laddie ate an ounce or two of baker’s chocolate you may have a very sick or dying dog on your hands if you don’t do something about it fast.
If you are cooking with baker’s chocolate make sure that you cut off what you need for your recipe, and then put the rest away out of your dog’s reach. You might not think your dog could reach up on a kitchen counter, but it happens quite often if you should have a food item too close to the edge of the counter.
It isn’t just chocolate candy you need to worry about your dog ingesting. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate toppings, chocolate milk, chocolate flavored cereals have different quantities of theobromine. These products have less of the toxic compound than plain chocolate, but your dog could still have a bad reaction to it depending on the size of the dog and its sensitivity to the substance.
Chocolate tastes good; if it gets a taste of chocolate, your dog will crave it, and beg for it every time it sees you eating it. If you lay your chocolate down unattended your dog will be a dog and happily gobble it up. Puppies and small dogs are most susceptible the chemical in chocolate.
What are the symptoms of chocolate poisoning?
If your dog has ingested enough chocolate to be toxic your dog may have increased urination; chocolate acts like a diuretic and will cause your dog’s kidneys to produce an excess amount of urine, which will lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance. Chocolate toxicity will also cause gastrointestinal upsets, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. From the time of ingestion to the time of toxic symptoms will be within a 2 to 4 hour period. If your dog is vomiting, the stomach contents will be the color of chocolate. If you suspect your dog has ingested chocolate and it is exhibiting these signs get your dog to a veterinarian quickly, because your dog may begin to shut down if advance signs of chocolate toxicity begin to manifest.
Advanced signs of chocolate poisoning.
Your dog may experience muscle stiffness, and twitching from the loss of electrolytes, due to frequent urination. Your dog may become irritable; touch, light and sound may cause extreme discomfort. Your dog may have hallucinations from the toxicity affecting the brain. Cardiac arrhythmias, and seizures may develop, followed by coma. Death can occur within 12 to 36 hours of ingestion of toxic amounts of chocolate.
If you discover that your dog has eaten chocolate, your veterinarian may direct you to begin first aid right away to induce vomiting. Be sure to tell the vet if latent signs of toxicity are apparent, because you only should induce vomiting if your dog has not gone into seizure activity, cardiac arrhythmia, and other symptoms of advanced toxicity.
How to induce vomiting.
Your veterinarian may tell you to give your dog a small amount of vanilla ice cream mixed with a combination of salt and hydrogen peroxide. Only do this when directed your dog’s veterinarian, because you will need to know how much hydrogen peroxide and salt to mix in with the ice cream. The ice cream is the vehicle to disguise the taste, because your dog will not take the treatment to induce vomiting easily if the taste is not disguised.
When your dog vomits, save a sample of it and bring it to the veterinarian’s office with you so that the sample can be tested for the presence of the toxin. Be sure to remain calm while you are trying to get your dog to vomit. If you are excited you will pass the anxiety onto your dog.
Prevention.
As mentioned earlier in this article, the way to prevent theobromine toxicity is to keep your dog away from chocolate. You may be tempted to share just a small piece of your chocolate bar with your beloved pet, but do not do it under any circumstances, because your dog will love the taste and want more. Once your dog has tasted chocolate your dog might do anything to get it, including stealing your M&M’s, if by accident, you should leave them unattended in reach of your dog.
Sources:
Ask the veterinarian: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ask-Veterinarian-700/dog-ate-chocolate-1.htm
Dr{{PERIOD}} Kevin’s Advice: http://www.apogeevideo.com/index.php/Dr.-Kevin-s-Advice/
Squiddo: http://www.squidoo.com/dogschocolate
Written by CharleneCollins
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You Can Develop Your Own Chocolate Fudge Recipes
Enjoy the splendor of a rich chocolate surreptitiously melting against your warm tongue as you sneak a bite of chocolate fudge from under the table. Don’t hide your chocolate in shame any longer. Recent studies show that chocolate is actually good for the heart, so rather than sneaking your chocolate and feeling guilty, share the wealth of your favorite chocolate fudge recipe with coworker, friends and family. What? You don’t have your own secret chocolate fudge recipe? Well don’t fret, here are some great ideas you can add to any chocolate fudge recipe you find online.
There are copious amounts of chocolate fudge recipes online but what makes that fudge delectable are the simple personal touches you add. If you don’t know how to make fudge find a recipe online that’s easy to make and adapt (adaptation is fundamental in order for you to create the best chocolate fudge recipe out there). Soon you’ll have the desk everyone comes to visit (sure it will be to grab a bite of your soon-to-be-famous chocolate fudge, but that’s okay, isn’t it?).
The Basic Ingredients of Chocolate Fudge
This is just a general idea of what is in a chocolate fudge morsel of goodness so you can come up with some great ideas to add to the basic ingredients. Of course there’s chocolate but there’s also butter, cream and some recipes that use baking chocolate might even call for sugar for a sweeter taste.
Making More of Your Chocolate Fudge
Again, your fudge isn’t complete until you have added a personal touch to your recipe. Such touches as adding nuts (crushed almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, etc.), adding marshmallow crème, adding peanut butter, adding a sweeter liqueur like rum, Orange Marnier or Kahlua or even adding a better butter like cocoa butter chocolate or a richer heavier cream will literally enrich your own recipe with powerful flavors. Just take some time to experiment. Likely you’ll have a line around the block of people willing to be your guinea pigs to try each new recipe.
Once your chocolate fudge is mixed, baked, tested and passed you’re going to need to find a way to present your delectable treat to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Using foil cups is a great way to store your fudge in a box that you can hand off as gifts to those very special people in your life. What a great Christmas idea.
There’s no reason to feel guilty for enjoying a bit of chocolate every now and again. It’s those special treats like chocolate fudge that make life worth living. If you’re truly concerned about the calories in chocolate fudge perhaps you can find a recipe that has fewer calories so you can enjoy your chocolate fudge without guilt. In the end, just enjoy your chocolate fudge.
For more useful information, please visit our website: THE KNOWLEDGE BASE, and look for the FOOD & DRINKS section.
Written by ja_schmidt
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, Develop, Fudge, Recipes
Making Chocolate
Ever wonder how chocolate is made? The short story is that these are made from bitter cacao beans and then molded into chocolate bars. If you were a chocolate company like Hershey’s, you would need a lot of them and to give you an idea how it is made, here is a guide in the production process.
The first thing that needs to be done is to harvest the cacao beans. Large companies buy these from farmers or buy the farm and harvest these themselves. They then put these in an oven at a temperature between 120 to 163 degrees Celsius that is about 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 35 minutes.
Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.
There are two reasons why cacao beans stay in an oven at varying times.
First is to prevent them from burning. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.
Second, the cooking time of cacao beans varies depending on the type of bean that is being used.
Since companies produce chocolates in vast quantities, the cacao beans are stored in drums and then rotated over a gas grill. After they are roasted, the beans must be cracked into small bits better known as nibs while those that can’t are removed.
The next step is to grind the nibs into a cacao liqueur. For that, you will need a machine to liquefy this and at the same time separate the remaining husks that were not removed after roasting.
You then conch and refine the chocolate so you are able to give the chocolate its distinct taste. This is what makes Hershey’s chocolates different than for example M&M which can be achieved by using a powerful wet grinder.
You first have to melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the over at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then mix non fat dry milk powder, sugar, lecithin and a vanilla pod for about an hour. This mixture is then poured into a grinder together with some heat to keep the chocolate in liquid form. This should be refined for at least 10 hours but not more than 36 hours.
When it is ready, you then temper the chocolate so it looks shiny and soft enough to easily melt in your hand.
The second to the last part in making chocolate is to mold this into whatever shape or form that you would like. To produce these in vast quantities, chocolate companies but custom made molds. The chocolate is then poured there and after this is cooled, this is then packaged and ready for delivery to stores.
Some companies even sell these in the form of blocks so people can buy them, melt it and mold this to whatever shape they desire.
Making chocolate is easy as long as you have the equipment and all the ingredients needed. It doesn’t matter if this is produced in large volumes or in small quantities because the principle behind it is the same. If you want to learn more about making chocolate, sign up for some classes.
Written by mrpooper
Blogger
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, making
Dark Chocolate- The Dark Horse of Good Health
Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food. – Michael Levin, Nutritional Researcher
Who doesn’t like eating Chocolates? Right from the Kids to Adults, everyone melts at the very sight of the dark brownish slab of delicious goodness and who wouldn’t! And now with researchers and recent reports stating that the Dark Chocolate variety of Chocolate can help boost one’s cardiovascular health along with helping to regulate blood pressure, improve blood circulation and so on… we are sure there couldn’t be better news for Chocolate Lovers world over!
Why Dark Chocolate instead of any other Chocolate?
Some of the most commonly available varieties of chocolate are White, Brown, Milk and Dark Chocolate. However, despite the many health benefits of dark chocolate, it still hasn’t been able to achieve a place amongst the preferred chocolate varieties in India! The answer to this lies in our Indian taste buds, which are still unaccustomed to the bitter taste of Dark Chocolate.
With the medical fraternity going gaga over the anti-ageing and cardio vascular health boosting properties of dark chocolate, it definitely deserves a place amongst our favorite chocolates.
Still not convinced? The following mentioned health benefits of Dark Chocolate should convince you,
Looking beyond the Bitter Taste of Dark Chocolate:
Running parallel to Michael Levine’s description of Chocolate as the worlds perfect food, we list down the reasons which make Dark Chocolate so healthy,
Anti – Oxidant Power House
Many people don’t know that chocolate is a plant based food. In fact Raw Cocoa (basic ingredient for any kind of chocolate) contains a very high level of anti-oxidants and with Dark Chocolate containing high levels of cocoa; it too has a high level of anti-oxidants! The anti-oxidants present in dark chocolate are found in the form of polyphenols known as flavanoids, which help protect the body from free radicals and harmful molecules, thereby slowing down the ageing process while protecting us from Cancer!
With Dark Chocolate containing almost twice the amount of Antioxidants as compared to Red wine, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate help protect against ageing and heart problems.
Heart Matters
Consumption of Cocoa is proven to help relax one’s arteries as well as widen them; it also helps in widening arteries and maintaining them. Dark chocolate helps in preventing the buildup of plaque on the arteries which can block them, it does so by slowing down the rate of the *oxidization of LDL or Bad Cholesterol. Clinical trials have further proven that consumption of dark chocolate prevents the clogging up of arteries by reducing platelet re-activity.
*Oxidization of LDL cholesterol is responsible for the beginning of the accumulation of plaque on the arteries*
Reduces Blood Pressure
Dark chocolate contains vital minerals such as Magnesium and Copper, which help in regulating and maintaining the blood pressure. Research conducted on the same at the University of California, has revealed that individuals who consumed dark chocolates for two weeks had a better and healthier blood functioning, than those who had other forms of chocolate.
Other research conducted on the same has found that Dark chocolate triggers the release of Nitric Oxide within the blood. The presence of Nitric Oxide in the blood is responsible for the relaxation and dilation of blood vessels, which allows for more flow of the blood, thereby reducing blood pressure considerably.
Mood Booster
Dark Chocolate contains many compounds that serve to produce the ‘feel good’ factor on its consumption. The three main compounds found in the chocolate are Theobromine, which is a mild natural stimulant. Caffeine too is found in dark chocolate, albeit in low quantity.
However the compound mainly responsible for the boost in our moods after eating dark chocolate is Phenylethylamine (PEA), which triggers the release of endorphins in our brain. So the next time you find yourself feeling blue, pop in a square of Dark Chocolate!
To know more about Dark Chocolate- The Dark Horse of Good Health
Written by Medimange
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Interesting History of Chocolates
History of chocolate is always a subject of interest for children, young and old people as no one can say no to this creamy and delicious delight that melts in mouth in just few seconds. The craziness of people for chocolate is very well explained in this chocolate quote:
“Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies” a quote about chocolate by John Q Tullius.
Chocolate History begins from Cacao beans which come from a large pod that grows on a tropical Theobroma cacao tree mainly in Latin America, where these cacao trees grow wild. Cacao trees are small and require rich, well-drained soils. They need about 2000 millimeters of rainfall a year and cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15 degrees Celsius.
Chocolate statistics reveals that an average American eats 10-12 pounds of chocolate per year and an average Swiss eats 21 pounds of chocolate a year, in fact Switzerland is the top chocolate loving nation.
These cacao beans are further roasted, shelled, and converted into a paste. Then this cacao paste is mixed with sugar and cooked at a high temperature to make chocolate. The cacao beans have severe and intense bitter taste, so to create a flavor they are fermented before drying and roasted.
In old days Europeans used to sweeten it by adding sugar and milk.By this time chocolate was a fashionable drink throughout Europe. They later produced a method to make solid chocolate which is the modern chocolate bar. Cocoa is originally from the Americas, however today Western Africa makes roughly two-thirds of the world’s cocoa.
The Olmec was the first people to use chocolate which is today southeast Mexico. These people lived in the area around 1000 BC, and the word cacao actually originated from their remark kakawa. The Mayans who were also settled in the same area thousand years later (from about 250-900 AD) also make use of chocolate. In true sense the Maya really begins the history of chocolates.
If we go back in History of chocolates, they consider cacao beans valuable enough to use as currency. 10 beans would buy you a rabbit, while 100 beans could buy you a good turkey hen or a slave. The Mayans and Aztecs believed the cacao bean had magical, divine properties and used chocolate in religious rituals like birth, marriage and death.
The point to know is that Maya prepared chocolate strictly for drinking. Chocolate history doesn’t embrace solid chocolate until the 1850s.
When we hear the word chocolate then a picture of chocolate bar comes in our mind. You will be surprise to know that the cacao paste which is also called cocoa mass is usually is in liquefied form and when molded with other ingredients it is called chocolate liquor. This liquor is then processed into two components cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The chocolate we eat is the blend of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. This Chocolate in solid form was invented in around 1847 by Joseph Fry. He discovered the process to make the first modern Chocolate bar.
Chocolate is one of the most admired treat by men and women both. It’s tough to pin down exact history of chocolate, but it’s obvious that it was appreciated from the beginning. In the end a chocolate Quote, just to enhance the taste…..
“Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate.” by Patrick Skene Catling.
This Article about Homemade Chococlate might interests you
Written by NehaSadana
Freelance writer, blogger
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Chocolates, History, Interesting
How to Buy the Best Valentine’s Chocolate
Step1
A chocolate holds its true value through its taste. Therefore, make sure that the chocolate you are going to buy is fresh. If you do not have a chocolatier near you, the best bet is to go to a high-end market.
Step2
High-end markets usually carry high quality chocolate from top artisan chocolatiers. Boxed chocolates are usually combined with ingredients to preserve them from going bad, so freshness and taste won’t be as rich. Try purchasing chocolates online. The best bet is to purchase them from small, artisan chocolatiers. If you can’t find any, look for small production, not mass market.
Step3
Don’t buy cheap chocolate The next step is to look at the price. If you walk into a high-end chocolatier, you can expect to pay over 0 for a pound of chocolate. However, you can also put together a hand-picked selection for less than . While you won’t get as much chocolate from a high-end French chocolate store as you from a local drugstore, which one will make the best impression?
Step4
No matter what your recipient says, do not get sugar-free chocolate unless the person you are going to give it to is a diabetic. If there is any issue regarding weight, focus instead on portion control. Chocolate is to taste good, so stop focusing on the diabetic attributes.
Step5
Buy different flavors of chocolate for your recipient. If you know what flavors she likes, feel free to choose. If you do not have any i
idea whatsoever, you can ask for recommendations. If not, choose what you would like to get. If a date you planned goes wrong, you always have the chocolates you liked already chosen!
Step6
Last but not least, never EVER re-gift a chocolate that you received and do not like. Now, you can be an expertise in buying the perfect and delicious Valentine’s chocolates. Who knows, you might fall in love because of this!
Written by lxlunat1cxl
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: best, CHOCOLATE, Valentine's
