Scientists and food chemists have been studying the properties of chemicals in chocolate and concluded it has beneficial ingredients.
Though chocolate has saturated fats, the darker chocolates contain nearly 54mg of catechins per 100 grams. That's the powerful anti-oxidant known to help prevent cancer and heart disease. By contrast, a cup of black tea contains a mere 13.9g of catechins. Green tea, however, is rich in catechins…though perhaps not as rich as chocolate!
To Aztec, Mayan and Toltec royalty, chocolate (or xocoatl) was the nectar of the gods. But you had to be royalty to taste it. To the Spanish conquistadors, it was chocolatl. This tantalizing product of the cacao tree has been winning fans since Montezuma introduced a chocolate beverage. When explorer Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico in 1519, he described Aztec king Montezuma drinking a concoction of burnt cacao, maize, water and spices. Montezuma reportedly drank 50 cups daily and noted the cacao bean possessed medicinal qualities. Today, Guatemalans say, "Tener mucho cacao (to have much chocolate)" is to possess fire in the belly, vigor and even sexual powers. To Aztec lords, chocolate was a primitive Viagra.
Cortes brought the bean back to his homeland in Spain and taught the process of cultivating, drying, fermenting, roasting and crushing the bean. The original drink had a bitter flavor - perhaps because of the chilies that were added! - so the Spaniards added sugar (and left out the chilies). Chocolate then raged its way through Europe, making its way to the royal courts and later into pastry shops.
A large part of chocolate's allure is the rich taste. But scientists and chemists agree that chemical reactions occur also. Chocolate is known to stimulate the release of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the "runner's high." It also contains a neurotransmitter called serotonin, the chemical known to act as an anti-depressant.
Food chemists at several American universities and M&M Mars have studied the stimulating effects of other chemicals found in chocolate, particularly theobromine and phenylethylamine. The results are so positive that coffee producers are studying ways to add those chemicals to the traditional American morning beverage.
Scientists are also busy debunking myths-such as eating chocolate causes acne, or that it is a threat to healthy teeth. High in potassium and magnesium, chocolate is also high in vitamins B1, B12, D and E. The average chocolate bar contains approximately 250 calories, but is not exactly touted as a diet food.
Today, chocolate is used in cooking in the land where it was initially used in mole sauce (and still is today) or was served frothed in a cup. Traditional Mexican hot chocolate is whipped with a molinillo - a stick with rings - to add the foam…similar to the way we now make a café latte or cappuccino. The best chocolate beaters in Mexico are hired for weddings and it is said that if chocolate froth clings to the bottom of the cups of guests, the marriage will be good.
Still intriguing today, scientists are busy isolating the protective or healthy aspects of this seductive ingredient. But good scientific documentation takes time. It is already known, however, that chocolate contains a broad spectrum of magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron and calcium. As a side note, a deficiency of magnesium may worsen the symptoms of PMS. So it could very well be that when we crave chocolate, particularly when our hormones are fluctuating, we are trying to make up for a magnesium deficiency, which chocolate has a rich supply of.
Scientists at many major universities are trying to see if the cardio-protective ingredients in chocolate are actually good enough to be part of a healthy diet. M&M Mars thinks the cardio-protective nutrients come from the way in which its chocolate or cacao is processed. Their powder is called Cocoa-Pro and its rich, deep color is full of an ingredient called polyphenols. These are plant compounds loaded with the ability to inhibit the oxidation of LDL's (the bad cholesterol) and platelet activity. The company is so sure of their processing method, which preserves more of the cocoa bean and its healthy ingredients, that they have placed a symbol - a hand holding a cocoa bean - on their label to show it's higher in flavanoids, theobrimine, and other ingredients. Their food chemists are conducting studies in tandem with the University of California at Davis to further document the findings. (Wouldn't it be fun to be a selfless volunteer there?)
They say preliminary research is encouraging. It shows that some chocolate in a diet may provide anti-oxidants and the relaxation of blood vessels. Chocolate is considered a high-energy food and one that is very shelf-stable - that is why the military always packs chocolate in its rations.
One thing is certain, chocolate has thousands of chemicals present. And, as any chocoholic will tell you, chocolate makes people smile.
Judy S. Gray, an admitted chocolate fan, is a freelance writer living in Tampa.