This Chocolate for you

by Mike June 22, 2011

More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified.

Chocolate is a psychoactive food:

Chocolate clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the central nervous system is poorly understood. So how does it work?

It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The cacao tree was named by the 17th century Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term theobroma means literally "food of the gods". Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.

Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day.

Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Skeptics claim one would need to consume several pounds of chocolate to gain any very noticeable psychoactive effects; and eat a lot more to get fully stoned. Yet it's worth noting that N-oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, two structural cousins of anandamide present in chocolate, both inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. It has been speculated that they promote and prolong the feeling of well-being induced by anandamide.

Chocolate contains caffeine:

Chocolate also contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It is the rate-limiting step in the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function typically diminishes anxiety. Yet tryptophan can normally be obtained from other sources as well; and only an unusually low-protein, high-carbohydrate meal will significantly increase its rate of intake into the brain.

Like other palatable sweet foods, consumption of chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body's endogenous opiates. Enhanced endorphin-release reduces the chocolate-eater's sensitivity to pain. Endorphins probably contribute to the warm inner glow induced in susceptible chocoholics. This sensation explains why chocolate gifts are a great way to bring joy to a loved one.

Acute monthly cravings for chocolate amongst pre-menstrual women may be partly explained by its rich magnesium content. Magnesium deficiency exacerbates PMT. Before menstruation, too, levels of the hormone progesterone are high. Progesterone promotes fat storage, preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods. One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Chocolate cravings are admitted by 15% of men and around 40% of women. Cravings are usually most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.

Cacao and chocolate bars contain a group of neuroactive alkaloids known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are also found in beer, wine and liquor; they have been linked to alcoholism. But the possible role of these chemicals in chocolate addiction remains unclear.

Chocolate's Natural Compounds:

Chocolate is packed with natural compounds called antioxidants that scientists have discovered can protect your body and promote good health. In fact, ounce for ounce, dark chocolate and cocoa have more antioxidants than do foods like blueberries, green tea and red wine.
Surprised? Many people are. That's because they forget that chocolate is a plant-based food.

The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa beans. - The seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree.
Because of modern manufacturing and the common form of the 'chocolate bar', most people today don't associate chocolate with its natural beginnings, but chocolate is essentially food of the earth.

Antioxidants: Good for plants, good for people
Scientists theorize that plants naturally produce antioxidants to help them survive harsh growing conditions and to protect them from environmental stress. These same compounds can aid the humans who eat the plants too.

The health benefits of high-antioxidant foods have taken the scientific world - and the media - by storm. Recent studies suggest that the antioxidants in foods may reduce the risk of many kinds of illness, from heart disease to cancer.

Antioxidants like those found in dark chocolate and cocoa have also been linked to some of the hallmarks of good cardiovascular health such as enhanced blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels and, in some cases, reduced blood pressure.
Dark chocolate and cocoa contain high levels of cell-protecting antioxidant compounds. Two tablespoons of natural cocoa have more antioxidant capacity than four cups of green tea, 1 cup of blueberries and one and half glasses of red wine.
Studies show that as soon as 30 minutes after eating one 40 gram serving of dark chocolate blood levels of the two main antioxidants in chocolate, epicatechin and catechin, are heightened. They peak two hours after consumption and are cleared from the body after about six hours.

How Antioxidants Work:

Antioxidants work by protecting your cells from damaging molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are basically unstable oxygen molecules that can trigger changes in the structure of normally healthy cells. This damage is thought to be an underlying cause of many chronic diseases. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals.
Free radicals are a natural by-product of life, but as we get older the natural antioxidants our body makes to fight them off begin to decline, experts say. The best way to recharge your antioxidant power is to get them through your diet. Now you know why your Mom and your doctor always told you to eat your fruits and vegetables.

Concentrated Capacity:

The kinds of antioxidants found in chocolate are called polyphenols, a large class of molecules found in fruits and vegetables like oranges, soybeans and berries. Dark chocolate and cocoa are particularly high in a sub-class of those compounds called flavanols, which are also found in red grapes and tea, hence the well-known benefits of red wine and green tea.
The reason dark chocolate and cocoa rank so high is that the antioxidants are very concentrated. Consider this: more than 10 percent of the weight of the dry raw cacoa beans consists of polyphenols alone.

Cacao and Ancient Medicine

Our Forefathers Were Right:

The Aztecs thought it gave their warriors strength. Early doctors used to prescribe it to cure ailments. Throughout history, chocolate has been revered more for its medicinal qualities than its delicious taste.
"Chocolate nourishes and preserves health entire, yet causes a pleasant and natural sleep and rest," wrote Dr. William Hughes, an English physician in 1672. "Drunk twice a day, a man may very well subsist therewith, not taking anything else at all."
Aztec Elixir:
For centuries, chocolate was not eaten in the bar form we know, but consumed as a drink. To the Mayans, Aztecs and Early-Europeans, this frothy brew made from the cacao bean was a phenomenon of nature. These early chocolate-lovers were likely impressed by chocolate because of its mild stimulant value - it made them feel awake, alert, and strong. Chocolate quickly gained a reputation as food vital for health.
Documents detailing Aztec life showed that chocolate was viewed as a medicinal marvel. The documents, known as the Badianus and the Florentine Codices, were written in the Aztec's native language and were found after the Spanish conquest.
"Cacao flowers were ingredients in perfumed baths, and thought to cure fatigue in government officials and others who held public office," says the Badianus Codex, published in 1552. The Florentine Codex, published in 1590, called for a mixture of cacao beans, maize and herbs to ease fever and panting, and to treat the faint of heart.
In Aztec society, chocolate was reserved mainly for priests and the very wealthy. But it also was given to soldiers because of the strength it was believed to impart. In 1529, when the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes arrived in the court of Aztec ruler Montezuma, he and his crew were impressed by this magical drink chocolate, which the Aztecs called "xocoatl" for bitter water. Cortes wrote to King Carlos I of Spain that he had found a "drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue."

European Cure-all:

After Cortes returned to Europe with trunk loads of cacao beans, chocolate swept Europe - again because of its reputed medicinal qualities. A drink of chocolate was viewed as a cure-all, a restorative, and vital for treating everything from anemia to digestion problems. Manuscripts dating from the 16th to 20th century Europe reported more than 100 medicinal uses for chocolate.
In the early 1800s, England's Dr. Hughes advised that it was especially good for pregnant women. "Chocolate is the most excellent drink that is yet found. It is good alone to make up a breakfast, needing no other food, is beneficial to the body, and may be drunk by people of all ages, and is very good for women with child, since it nourishes the embryo, and prevents fainting fits," he wrote.

As a sign of chocolate's reputation, when the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus was officially naming all the plants of the world in 1753, he called the cacao tree Theobroma cacao which means Food of the Gods.

American Sustenance:

America's founding fathers were also captivated by chocolate. Thomas Jefferson, America's third president is quoted as saying: "The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain."

But as sugar and milk were added to chocolate in later centuries, much of its medicinal value was forgotten. Chocolate's magical taste eclipsed its storied past as health food. But Milton Hershey, founder of Hershey Chocolate Company, knew full well the health value of the bars he made famous.
"Hershey's: More Sustaining than Meat." read one of his early advertisements for a milk chocolate bar.

The cacao bean:

Chocolate comes from the bean of cacao fruit. Cacao beans have been used medicinally for thousands of years. Fresh cacao beans are super-rich in antioxidants - molecules that protect skin from environmental damage - containing 10,000 milligrams of flavanol antioxidants for every 100 grams of cacao. Compared to other foods, they're among the best sources of antioxidants.

Might prevent signs of aging:

Because antioxidants in cacao defend against free radicals, they might be able to stave off lines, wrinkles and discoloration.
Might offer UV protection. According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition, participants who drank a special chocolate drink every day for 12 weeks experienced "25 percent less skin redness in response to UV exposure and also improved their skin texture and hydration," writes Rory Evans in Allure.

Getting the benefits:

Don't stock your shelves full of candy bars just yet. Preliminary research suggests that milk and dairy products found in candy may actually reduce antioxidant absorption. So, how can you ensure you're getting those beneficial antioxidants?
Look for chocolate containing at least 50 percent cacao, and aim for three or four ounces daily, according to Allure.
Also, don't assume that dark chocolate is less tasty than its lighter counterpart - many people actually prefer dark cacao for its intense and natural woody flavor.

Some History:

Kakaw ('cacao') written in the Maya script. The word was also written in several other ways in old Maya texts.
The Maya believed that the kakaw (cacao) was discovered by the gods in a mountain that also contained other delectable foods to be used by the Maya. According to Maya mythology, the Plumed Serpent gave cacao to the Maya after humans were created from maize by divine grandmother goddess Xmucane (Bogin 1997, Coe 1996, Montejo 1999, Tedlock 1985).

The Maya celebrated an annual festival in April to honor their cacao god, Ek Chuah, an event that included the sacrifice of a dog with cacao colored markings; additional animal sacrifices; offerings of cacao, feathers and incense; and an exchange of gifts.
In a similar creation story, the Mexica (Aztec) god Quetzalcoatl discovered cacao (cacahuatl: "'bitter water"'), in a mountain filled with other plant foods (Coe 1996, Townsend 1992). Cacao was offered regularly to a pantheon of Mexica deities and the Madrid Codex depicts priests lancing their ear lobes (auto-sacrifice) and covering the cacao with blood as a suitable sacrifice to the gods.
The cacao beverage as ritual was used only by men, as it was believed to be toxic for women and children. There are several mixtures of cacao described in ancient texts, for ceremonial, medicinal uses as well as culinary purposes. Some mixtures included maize, chili, vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), and honey.
Archaeological evidence for use of cacao, while relatively sparse, has come from the recovery of whole cacao beans at Uaxactun, Guatemala (Kidder 1947) and from the preservation of wood fragments of the cacao tree at Belize sites including Cuello and Pulltrouser Swamp (Hammond and Miksicek 1981; Turner and Miksicek 1984).
In addition, analysis of residues from ceramic vessels has found traces of theobromine and caffeine in early formative vessels from Puerto Escondido, Honduras (1100-900 BC) and in middle formative vessels from Colha, Belize (600-400 BC) using similar techniques to those used to extract chocolate residues from four classic period (ca. 400 AD) vessels from a tomb at the archaeological site of Rio Azul.
As cacao is the only known commodity from Mesoamerica containing both of these alkaloid compounds, it seems likely that these vessels were used as containers for cacao drinks.
In addition, cacao is named in a hieroglyphic text on one of the Rio Azul vessels. Cacao was also believed to be ground by the Aztecs and mixed with tobacco for smoking purposes.

The first Europeans to encounter cacao were Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1502, when they captured a canoe at Guanaja that contained a quantity of mysterious-looking "almonds."
The first real European knowledge about chocolate came in the form of a beverage which was first introduced to the Spanish at their meeting with Moctezuma in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1519. Cortez and others noted the vast quantities of this beverage that the Aztec emperor consumed, and how it was carefully whipped by his attendants beforehand.
Examples of cacao beans along with other agricultural products were brought back to Spain at that time, but it seems that the beverage made from cacao was introduced to the Spanish court in 1544 by Kekchi Maya nobles brought from the New World to Spain by Dominican friars to meet Prince Philip (Coe and Coe 1996).
Within a century, the culinary and medical uses of chocolate had spread to France, England and elsewhere in Western Europe.
Demand for this beverage led the French to establish cacao plantations in the Caribbean, while Spain subsequently developed their cacao plantations in their Philippine colony (Bloom 1998, Coe 1996).
The Nahuatl-derived Spanish word cacao entered scientific nomenclature in 1753 after the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus published his taxonomic binomial system and coined the genus and species Theobroma ("food of the gods") cacao.
Traditional pre-Hispanic beverages made with cacao are still consumed in Mesoamerica. These include the Oaxacan beverage known as tejate.

Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study needs replicating.
A "symposium" at the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science - hyped as a potentially "mind-altering experience" - presented evidence that chocolate consumption can be good for the brain. Experiments with chocolate-fed mice suggest that flavanol-rich cocoa stimulates neurovascular activity, enhancing memory and alertness. This research was partly funded by Mars, Inc.

Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the world's oldest super centenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets at the age of 119 - three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.
In the UK, chocolate bars laced with cannabis are popular with many victims of multiple sclerosis. This brand of psychoactive confectionery remains unlicensed.

Young Cacao plantation:

Cacao is grown both by large agro-industrial plantations and also by small producers.
A tree begins to bear when it is four or five years old. A mature tree may have 6,000 flowers in a year, yet only about 20 pods. About 300-600 seeds (10 pods) are required to produce 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cocoa paste.

Cacao genome:

In September 2010, a team of international scientists announced a draft sequence of the cacao genome (Matina1-6 genotype) and the sequence was published in December 2010. It has about 35,000 genes compared to the roughly 30,000 genes of the human genome.

Cacao as currency:

Cacao beans constituted both a ritual beverage and a major currency system in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations. At one point the Aztec empire received a yearly tribute of 980 loads (xiquipil in nahuatl) of cacao, in addition to other goods. Each load represented exactly 8,000 beans. The buying power of quality beans was such that 80-100 beans could buy a new cloth mantle. The use of cacao beans as currency is also known to have spawned counterfeiters during the Aztec empire.
In some areas, such as Yucatán, cacao beans were still used in place of small coins as late as the 1840s.
Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.

The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate's reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.

Chocolate as we know it today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Swiss confectioner Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F. 
Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer.
In 2007, a UK study suggested that eating dark chocolate was more rewarding than passionate kissing. More research is needed to replicate this result.

Skin Care:

Organic certified Cocoa and Cocoa butter Extract are natural products for skin care, used for their anti oxidant and anti aging properties in skin care products. As a natural component of organic skin care, anti wrinkle, natural anti aging, miracle lift. Also sometime found as a fragrance material in organic and natural skin care.

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