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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Help, I am giving a seminar on the history of chocolate Any ideas to make it interesting?
Question by nutritionist34: Help, I am giving a seminar on the history of chocolate Any ideas to make it interesting?
I will be speaking to a womans group of about 25 people.
Best answer:
Answer by jforcey
Bring in some chocolate, of course!
Maybe once you get to modern chocolate, you can say, “And here is what chocolate has turned into today,” and then pass some out.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Categories: chocolate questions Tags: CHOCOLATE, giving, help, History, Ideas, Interesting, seminar
ThinkFun Chocolate Fix
ThinkFun Chocolate Fix
- Features forty mind challenges with solutions
- Four levels of play; from beginner to expert
- Nine chocolate pieces, one assortment game tray and a game-go bag
- Players examine all the clues on the cards before making a move
- Confidence builds as you narrow down the possibilities to fill each candy assortment
Using a box of chocolate as a game board, the player has to decode the pattern on a challenge card to figure out where each type of candy should be placed. Levels range from easy beginner to challenging expert. ThinkFun. Ages: 8+
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Categories: chocolate products Tags: CHOCOLATE, ThinkFun
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
The Chocolate Lovers’ Guide and Tasting Journal
The Chocolate Lovers’ Guide and Tasting Journal
The Chocolate Lovers’ Guide and Tasting Journal is a non-fiction book combining the fundamentals of chocolate including types of chocolate, varieties of chocolate, storing chocolate, tasting chocolate and your impressions, and a place to record your chocolate’s history and tasting as well as saving your chocolate’s wrapper. It is a device to record your journey through your chocolate world creating a road map taking you back to your cherished chocolate favorites.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with the World’s Premier Culinary College
Have you ever tried eating a pumpkin chocolate chip cookies? Well, I think the video we have for you will provide you all the information you needed to know on how you can make this recipe.
You will be given all the steps being demonstrated to you by a Culinary Institute of America, Which is a premier culinary college. This Culinary school graduates will guide you how to prepare this amazing recipe.
This recipe is healthy for the kids, our expert Rico Griffone ’06 and Dr. Chris Loss ’93 will make it more healthier for your kids to eat.
So enjoy and learn more on how to make a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with the World’s Premier Culinary College.
