Top 11 chocolate myths
Category: Health, Science & Technology
Via: buzz-of-the-orient • 5 years ago • 8 commentsBy: MELISSA BREYER, MOTHER NATURE NETWORK
RED RULE: I know it has become an obsession on the part of certain members, but any mention of or reference to politics or China will be considered off topic and deleted.
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Top 11 chocolate myths
Aphrodisiac? Acne inciter? Friend or foe? Here's the skinny on the world's most beloved confectionery.
The Latin name for the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao , means “food of the gods,” and it does seem that the fruit of the tree and its delicious derivatives are indeed fit for the deities.
Both the Mayans and Aztecs believed the cacao bean had magical and divine attributes, appropriate for service in even the most sacred rituals of birth, marriage and death. By the 17th century, chocolate in drinking form was a fashionable quaff for the European elite, who believed it to have nutritious, medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. It’s been said that Casanova was especially enamored by its charms.
And the love affair has yet to wane. The chocolate market is a more than $17 billion industry in the United States alone, and the average American eats at least half a pound of the confectionery every month.
But chocolate is a funny thing. In recent years it has become the darling of nutritionists as health benefit after health benefit has been revealed — most notably that it lowers the risk of stroke and heart attacks. And a study in Denmark published in BMJ Heart shows that eating a small amount of chocolate every week or two lowers the risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm. Yet, it’s long been the character actor bad guy in any number of scenarios, including acne, weight gain and high cholesterol.
But is chocolate’s bad reputation warranted? Should we embrace it as a miracle food, or shun it as a deleterious delight? Here's the dope on chocolate's most notorious myths.
Chocolate isn't loaded with caffeine, contrary to popular belief. A chocolate candy bar can contain around 30 milligrams of caffeine, while a medium coffee has around 320 milligrams. (Photo: Tobias Arhelger/Shutterstock)
1. Chocolate raises bad cholesterol
If you’ve given up chocolate in the name of lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, you may have been unwittingly sacrificing the sweet treat for nothing. Quelle tragique ! While it’s true that chocolate contains cocoa butter, which is high in saturated fat, much of the fat comes from stearic acid, which doesn’t act like saturated fat. Studies have shown that chocolate does not raise bad cholesterol, and in fact for some people, chocolate can lower cholesterol levels.
2. Chocolate is high in caffeine
Contrary to popular belief, chocolate is not loaded with the jitter-inducing compound known as caffeine. A Hershey’s chocolate bar contains 9 milligrams of caffeine and a Hershey’s Special Dark bar contains 20 milligrams, as compared to the 330 milligrams found in a Starbuck’s grande brewed coffee. Darker varieties are higher in caffeine, it’s true, but not as high as many people think.
3. The sugar in chocolate causes hyperactivity
Excessive sugar causes kids to jump off the walls, bounce off the ceiling, and generally mimic a rogue helicopter, right? So we thought. But more than a dozen good-quality studies have failed to find any link between sugar in children's diets and hyperactive behavior. Two theories: It’s the environment that creates the excitability (birthday parties, holidays, etc) and/or that the connection is simply in the minds of the parents expecting hyper behavior following sugar-fueled revelries. Of course, like adults, some kids are more sensitive to caffeine. It can affect their moods and impact sleep.
4. People with diabetes have to give up chocolate
Chocolate does not need to be completely avoided by people with diabetes. In fact, many are often surprised to learn that chocolate has a low glycemic index. Some studies suggest that dark chocolate may possibly improve insulin sensitivity in some people with diabetes. Of course, always check with your doctor before ripping open the Ritter wrapper.
5. Chocolate causes tooth decay and cavities
A study investigating the development of plaque from chocolate found that chocolate has less of an effect on dental plaque than pure table sugar. Of course, most of us aren’t snacking on straight sugar, but another study backed it up when it showed no association between eating chocolate and getting cavities. In fact, a study from Osaka University in Japan found that parts of the cocoa bean, the main ingredient of chocolate, thwart mouth bacteria and tooth decay. Fighting cavities never tasted so good.
While stuffing yourself with a box of chocolates won't do you any favors in the weight department, eating a small amount of chocolate five times a week has been linked to a lower BMI. (Photo: Sebastian Duda/Shutterstock)
6. Chocolate makes you gain weight
Obviously, monumental hot fudge sundaes aren’t going to do your waistline any favors, but a large study funded by the National Institutes of Health found this: Consuming a small amount of chocolate each of five days during a week was linked to a lower body mass index (BMI) , even if the person ate more calories overall and didn't exercise more than other participants. Hello, chocolate diet.
7. Eating sugar and chocolate can add to stress
A study found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.
8. Chocolate lacks nutritional value
If you’ve seen any of the deluge of scientific studies touting the health benefits of chocolate, you know this is not true. But just how nutritious is chocolate? A typical dark chocolate bar contains as much antioxidant capacity as 2 3/4 cups of green tea, 1 glass of red wine or 2/3 cup of blueberries. In addition, chocolate also contains minerals and dietary fiber.
9. Chocolate must contain at least 70% cacao to be good for you
The general recommendation is to consume dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cacao to reap the health benefits; in general, the darker the chocolate, the higher the antioxidant content. However, in one 18-week study, participants who ate a small amount of 50% cacao chocolate experienced a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. As well, another study showed short-term improvements in blood flow and blood pressure after consumption of a 60% cacao dark chocolate.
10. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac
The Aztecs may have been the first to believe in the connection between chocolate and amorous feelings — Montezuma is said to have consumed large amounts to enhance his romantic forays, and Casanova imbibed pre-seduction as well. But numerous studies have yet to find conclusive evidence that chocolate physically gets the fires burning. That said, chocolate is sensual to eat, lowers stress, and may have aphrodisiac qualities that are psychological in origin.
11. Chocolate causes acne
Although any teen will tell you that chocolate causes acne, studies going as far back as the 1960s have failed to show any relationship between chocolate consumption and acne. An extensive review in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that “diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients … even large amounts of chocolate have not clinically exacerbated acne.”
The moral of the story is: Eat chocolate! Alas, eat it in moderation. An average 3-ounce bar of milk chocolate has 420 calories and 26 grams of fat, almost as much as a Big Mac — and that's a fact.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new information since it was originally published in September 2012.
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I eat about a 1.5" square of dark chocolate every day.
Very little is as enjoyable as a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly fall day.
I'll eat a bar of Dark Chocolate Mounds or Almond Joy's once a week - BP has gone down, waist smaller, no hyper activity - if fact, quite the opposite - I'm more relaxed.
Dark Chocolate Three Musketeers bars though will get me hopping.
I think that the dark chocolate bars I buy here are 66% carob.
After a really bad case of food poisoning, I barely ate for almost a year and shed 115 lbs in the process. The food poisoning made me so sick I detoxed from sugar without realizing it. My only weakness is the chocolate in Atkins products now. When I go to the store, I see all of the candy I used to love and have no desire for it what so ever.
Wow! That was a heck of a lesson. I rarely eat any kind of candy, but I do enjoy the chocolate. Only problem is that it often makes me sneeze.
Idle curiosity but does China grow any of it's own chocolate or do they import it all, also is chocolate a big thing in China or still pretty unknown.
I don't think Carob trees grow in China so that would be imported, but they do manufacture and retail lots of chocolate here. Even the regular supermarkets sell imported chocolates, truffles, M&Ms, Hershey bars, Snickers, etc. besides domestic brands.