Types Of Chocolates

Some of the benefits of milk chocolates are that it contains phosphate, which protects your teeth from decaying. They are also high in vitamins, vitamins like B1, B2, D and E. It also contains potassium and magnesium. Milk chocolates can also help boost the immune system because of the antioxidants it contains. These are the few benefits that milk chocolate has to offer, also it contains more sugar then cacao.

Dark chocolates also have strong benefits. It can help prevent heart diseases, dark chocolates contains flavonoids that can lower your blood pressure. It can also improve your mood where it stimulates the production of endorphins. Lastly dark chocolates can protect your skin because it contains flavonoids that will absorb UV light, it also helps increase blood flow to the skin and improves the skin's complexion and hydration. Dark chocolate contains the most cocoa out of all the chocolates.

White chocolate unfortunately is said to be the unhealthiest. It contains none of the antioxidants benefits of a real chocolate. White chocolate consist of milk with added coco butter and sugar, so technically it is not a chocolate at all.

Though dark chocolate have strong benefit, it also has some disadvantages. Firstly, they are high on calories with high fat and sugar. Furthermore, it contains some elements that are addictive such as caffeine, theobromine, and sugar which results in mood elevating. It also contains vasoactive amines that lead to migraine problems.

Semi-sweet chocolate is about 60 percent bitter chocolate and 40 percent chocolate. It contains Antioxidant Boost, all chocolates contains some cocoa, which contains a polyphenol group called flavanols. These flavanols act as antioxidants which can fight dangerous free radicals that damages cells. It also has reduced LDLS and raised HDLS. Lastly it also can cause mood alteration, where most people instantly feel better after eating semi-sweet chocolate, research has said that chocolate contains chemical compounds that acts on the brain way the same way falling in love does.

Chocolates could go well with many things as well. You can make mix them into ice creams, fondues, fruits, cake and many more. For people who want to lose weight, it is highly recommended to avoid chocolates, but at the same time it gives you energy. Chocolates at the end of the day have its pros and cons, some people love eating it and some people tend to avoid it. The truth is Chocolates make people happy.

By Sam Wall Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6719718

Can Chocolate Benefit Your Health?

By Marguerite Bonneville

If you're a fan of chocolate you're in good company. Chocolate is one of the most popular sweet-tasting treats in the world and has been for centuries. But part of the myth surrounding chocolate is that it tastes so good it must be bad for your health. Which gives it an air of the forbidden.

A beautifully wrapped box of chocolates has always been considered a very romantic gift. So if the special person in your life is a self-confessed chocoholic, you know one surefire way to please them on special occasions. But the surprising news from the scientific community is that this reputedly decadent treat actually has some health benefits, especially if you choose your chocolate wisely.

Is Chocolate A Health Food?

Chocolate contains over 300 chemicals, and has been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. Here's a quick rundown of the results. We have no way of proving or disproving these claims so we offer them here as a stimulus for further research. If you're really interested in the subject, this may provide you with a starting point.

* Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.

* The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

* Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.

* Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.

* Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.

* The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.

* Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

* Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.

* The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

What Chocolate Won't Do

There are many myths and half-truths about the effects of chocolate on the human body. Here are the latest findings on several of them.

* Studies show that chocolate is not a causative factor in acne.

* Cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but in such small quantities that they don't cause nervous excitability.

* Chocolate is not addictive.

* Chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn't raise bad cholesterol.

* Chocolate doesn't make you 'high'. You'd need to eat a huge quantity (about 25lbs at one sitting) to feel any noticeable effect.

But On The Negative Side...

1. Chocolate may trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.

2. Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

What About Chocolate And Your Pets?

Chocolate is considered dangerous to animals because it contains a stimulant called theobromine, which they can't digest.

Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are even more dangerous because they contain higher concentrations of the substance. This applies whether chocolate is in candy bar form, or an ingredient in cake, cookies, puddings or ice cream.

If a pet becomes ill after eating chocolate, take it to the vet immediately.

Dark Chocolate Versus Milk Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains more cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate. It follows that any health benefits would be more pronounced in dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is allowed on the popular Montaignac diet while milk chocolate is not.

You'll need to do a little research if you have any health concerns about eating chocolate. But with products like gluten-free and sugar-free brands finding their way onto supermarket shelves, you're sure to find some form of chocolate you can enjoy with a clear conscience.



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The History of Mexican Chocolate

The cacao tree, which chocolate comes from, originated in Mesoamerica. Native Peoples used the cacao tree to produce a potent drink that is a far cry from the modern sweet incarnations of chocolate today. Historians disagree over where exactly in Mesoamerica the trees first appeared, but what they do agree on is that people first began to prepare cacao for human enjoyment in Mexico. Native Peoples used cacao beans to make drinks, as religious offerings, and they were even used as a from of currency. Nowadays, when people think of Mexican chocolate, they picture the cinnamon-scented variety commonly used in many Mexican style dishes and beverages.

The chocolate prepared in Mexico in pre-European Mexico possessed a strong, sour taste different from modern chocolate. It is well-known that Native Peoples prized this chocolate and used it in a variety of dishes and drinks. The first known large-scale "farmer" and consumers of chocolate were the Mayans, who inhabited Central Mexico.

The Aztecs, who rose to dominance after the Mayans, inherited the Mayan affinity for chocolate, which became even more culturally significant for them than it had for the Mayan people. Chocolate was a symbol of power and authority to the Aztecs, and people even used cacao beans as currency. The cacao beans were so valuable, that counterfeiting by filling cacao shells with clay was not uncommon.

The most popular use of the cacao bean in pre-European Mexico was to produce a chocolate drink. To make the drink, producers fermented, toasted, and ground the cacao bean into a powder which provided the drink's base. Often, people used different spices such as chiles, anise seed, allspice, and vanilla to add flavor. While this drink was a favorite among the rich, it was also religiously significant. The Aztecs gave the drink to human sacrifices to purify them. The Spanish also quickly developed a taste for chocolate not long after their arrival in Mexico. They then introduced it to Europe where a hot chocolate like drink became very popular.

Modern Mexican chocolate still retains many qualities of its predecessor. Makers still use some of the same spices as the Aztecs, as well as cinnamon and sugar to produce a chocolate with a unique flavor, texture, and aroma. It provides the base for hot chocolate beverages and serves as a key ingredient to several Mexican dishes such as Mole. Mexican chocolate is best recognized when sold in the form of small solid discs. The Spanish began the practice of storing chocolate in the shape of discs in the 1500s, and it continues to today. The modern world owes thanks to Mexico's long history with chocolate for providing one of the world's favorite treats.

For more history and to get some traditional recipes, visit

http://www.mexicanhotchocolaterecipe.com

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Chocolate for Medicine

You may be delighted to hear about the health benefits of treating yourself to some chocolate. Its botanic name theobroma cacao translated means "Food of the Gods". This delicious food came to the European continent in the 16th century, as one of the valuable discoveries which came with the exploration of America. The Aztecs enjoyed chocolate several hundred years earlier and knew some of their medicinal properties, and used the ground cocoa bean to make a bitter drink, often mixed with chilli, particularly for use at ceremonial times. Chocolate drink became fashionable in the Victorian years, and the invention of the process to make milk chocolate paved the way to it becoming widely popular as a favourite drink, dessert or treat.

In the UK more than 500 000 tons of chocolate are consumed per year (1). In 2001 the UK consumption of chocolate was 17.40 lbs or a bit more than 7.89 kg per person per year. However, this is only 7th place world wide. In the lead is Switzerland with 22.36 lbs or 10.55 kg chocolate consumed per capita every year.

As chocolate products contain high amounts of fat (typically 30%) they are usually high in energy, which promotes weight gain. One pound of milk chocolate has about 2300 calories which is about the daily energy requirement of an average adult.

Many positive health effects of eating chocolate have been reported.

The Journal of Nutrition 2000: 130: 2115-2119 reported dark chocolate consumption associated with reducing free radical levels in the human body, thought to be due to antioxidants in dark chocolate. The more chocolate a person ate the more significant was the effect. Reduction in free radicals has been associated with reduction in cardio-vascular disease, cancer and cellular aging.

An anti-inflammatory effect has been described in several studies (ARYA Journal 2005; 1 (1): 29-35).

Chocolate as treatment against diarrhea has been known in South America as well as Europe and makes it for many an enjoyable treatment.

Theobromine in the cacao has been reported as helping against fatigue, and researchers have shown a positive effect of chocolate on the release of endorphins - 'happy hormones'. The Journal of Public Health Nutrition published an article in 1999 demonstrating a positive effect of chocolate on improving peoples mood, and stimulating release of serotonin and endorphins. This may have inspired J. K. Rowling to use chocolate as a remedy against dementor attacks!

In 2006 the Archives of Internal Medicine published a study of chocolate consumption in elderly men demonstrating a lowering effect on blood pressure.

Just recently, an Australian study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2010 has found that women eating chocolate at least once a week had significantly lower risk of suffering from ischemic heart disease including heart attacks, heart failure or other health problems related to arteriosclerosis. The women in the study ate about 1.5 grams of cocoa a day. As this is not the first time cardio-vascular benefits associated with chocolate consumption have been reported further studies may well follow and no shortage of participants is expected. Who would not accept suffering eating chocolate to aid scientific discoveries?

So chocolate may not need to be a guilty pleasure after all - in moderation it may prove not just good for the soul, but good for the body, too!


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