The Science of Chocolate
Key Points
 |
Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree
|
|
Research suggests chocolate may have health benefits
|
|
Chocolate cravings may be a symptom of addiction
|
|
Chocolate contains the same 'happy' chemicals found in some recreational drugs |
  Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao. Theobroma is Greek for 'food of the gods'. The ancient Aztecs venerated the cacao tree and used its beans as a form of currency. They saw the tree as a source of strength and wealth and assigned their god Quetzalcoatl its guardian.
The Aztecs discovered that by crushing the beans into a paste and adding spices, they could make a refreshing and nourishing drink. This drink would have been very bitter, unlike our chocolate drinks today. 16th century European explorers brought the drink back from their travels, added sweeter flavourings, and soon it was popular as an expensive luxury.
The first chocolate bars
In the 1800s, solid chocolate became popular, with the invention of moulding processes. Mechanical grinders crushed cocoa beans to a fine powder that could be heated and poured into moulds, forming shapes as it cooled.
Dutchman Coenrad Van Houten perfected the extraction of cocoa butter from cocoa beans in 1825. The beans are crushed to a paste, which is subjected to very high pressure, forming chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. The extracted butter is smoothed and treated to remove any odours.
In the 1880s, Rudolphe Lindt of Switzerland started adding extra cocoa butter during chocolate manufacture, to make it smoother and glossier. Cocoa butter melts at around 97°F, which is human body temperature. That's why chocolate melts in the mouth.
Milk chocolate
 In 1875, Swiss Daniel Peter perfected the manufacture of milk chocolate, which is sweeter and smoother than dark chocolate. Nestlé's recently-invented condensed milk was easy to mix with cocoa paste, unlike liquid milk.
Cadbury's 'Dairy Milk', first developed in 1905, is the UK's most popular chocolate bar. Milk chocolate is now the world's best-selling variety.
Chocolate craving
|
The love of chocolate goes beyond the call of sweetness. Chocolate can induce craving in a way that other sugary products like toffee or marshmallow don't. Chocolate makes us feel good, but can it really be addictive? |
All modern commercial chocolate products contain substantial amounts of sugar, a fact which may partly explain chocolate's supposed addictive properties.
Sweet tooth
You can inherit a 'sweet tooth' from your parents. Recent research at New York University suggests there is a genetic reason why some people crave sugary foods.
The study was based on two strains of mice, selectively bred according to whether the parents preferred sweetened or unsweetened water. The team located the gene that was different in the two groups of mice and then searched for similar genetic sequences in humans.
Sweet truth
 An ability to identify sweet things, and a tendency to respond to them positively, would have been an advantage for our ancestors. Such a genetic trait would have made prehistoric humans seek energy-rich, highly nutritional food such as fruit, while avoiding bitter-tasting poisonous plant material. This ancient genetic preference is arguably less useful in the context of a modern supermarket.
Chocolate chemistry
Like other sweet food, chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural body hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and well-being.
General sweetness aside, there are various chemical elements specific to chocolate that may help to stimulate cravings. In fact, chocolate contains over 300 chemicals and it is not known how all of these affect humans.
Many women report particular chocolate cravings when pre-menstrual. This is possibly because chocolate contains magnesium, a shortage of which can exacerbate pre-menstrual tension. Similar cravings during pregnancy could indicate mild anaemia, which chocolate's iron content may help to cure.
Central nervous stimulants such as caffeine are also present in small amounts, and this has a mild effect on alertness as we know from drinking coffee. Another mild stimulant present in chocolate is theobromine, which also serves to relax the smooth muscles in the linings of the lung.
Chocolate also makes us feel good by reacting with our brains. |
Why Chocolate Makes Us Feel Good
|
Several more obscure chocolate ingredients seem to act by affecting the brain's own neurotransmitter network.
Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers of the brain. They work by transporting electrical signals between nerve cells. These signals cause changes in the sensations and emotions that we experience.
 Love drug?
Chocolate contains a natural 'love drug'. Tryptophan is a chemical that the brain uses to make a neurotransmitter called serotonin. High levels of serotonin can produce feelings of elation, even ecstasy - hence the name of the designer drug that also works by increasing serotonin levels.
Lust drug?
 While tryptophan could be considered 'chocolate's ecstasy', another chemical called phenylethylamine has earned the nickname 'chocolate amphetamine.' High levels of this neurotransmitter help promote feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness and apprehension. Phenylethylamine works by stimulating the brain's pleasure centres and reaches peak levels during orgasm.
But many scientists are sceptical that chocolate could produce mood-altering effects in this way. Chemicals like tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which are also found in many other foodstuffs, are present in chocolate only in very small quantities.
Chocolate pot?
The same is true of anandamide, the current favourite candidate for a psychoactive chocolate ingredient. Anandamide is a neurotransmitter that targets the same brain structures as THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. But to make a substantial impact on the brain's own natural anandamide levels, experts estimate you would need to eat several kilos of chocolate!
Neuroscientist Daniele Piomelli suggests that chocolate works more indirectly to produce its 'high'. As well as anandamide itself, chocolate contains two chemicals known to slow the breakdown of anandamide. Chocolate might therefore work by prolonging the action of this natural stimulant in the brain. The animation below shows how this could work. |
Chocoholism
This type of effect is a possible scenario for the development of a physical dependency on chocolate. Current studies of psychoactive drugs show that addiction is associated with the formation and reinforcement of unusual neurotransmitter pathways in the brain. So it's just possible that, with every binge, your brain is being gradually 'rewired' in order to make you love chocolate more and more!
But could chocolate be good for you?
Is Chocolate Good For You?
|
Should chocolate be an essential component of a balanced diet? Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, many treatises were written extolling the medicinal virtues of chocolate and today it's a regular feature in army food rations.
During the Gulf War, critical equipment flown out to US forces included a specially formulated heat-stable chocolate bar. But the jury is still out on whether or not it's good for us.
Chocolate toothpaste
Chocolate could help prevent tooth decay, according to scientists at Japan's Osaka University. The husks of the cocoa beans from which chocolate is made contain an antibacterial agent that fights plaque. These husks are usually discarded in chocolate production, but in future they could be added back in to chocolate to make it dental-friendly.
They concluded that the cavity-fighting action of cocoa bean husks isn't enough to offset decay caused by chocolate's high sugar content, however, so chocolate isn't going to replace toothpaste any time soon.
Hearty findings
Californian scientist Professor Carl Keen and his team have suggested that chocolate might help fight heart disease. They say that it contains chemicals called flavinoids, which thin the blood, helping to prevent clotting. Scientists have already suggested that red wine acts in this way. However, sceptics have pointed out that Keen's research is funded by confectionery maker Mars.
Good news and bad news
Researchers at Harvard University have carried out experiments that suggest that if you eat chocolate three times a month you will live almost a year longer than those who forego such sweet temptation.
But it's not all good news - the Harvard research also suggested that people who eat too much chocolate have a lower life expectancy. Chocolate's high fat content means that excess indulgence can contribute to obesity, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.
It looks like the old adage of "everything in moderation" holds. But if you can't resist chocolate, at least stick to dark. It's higher in cocoa than milk chocolate and helps to increase levels of HDL, a type of cholesterol that helps prevent fat clogging up arteries.
Death by chocolate
Dogs and other domestic animals like horses metabolise the chocolate ingredient theobromine more slowly than humans. Safe doses for us could be toxic or even lethal doses for our pets, affecting their hearts, kidneys and central nervous systems.
Why not add a little something special to your wedding, corporate event, or party!
find out more about chocolate... from cocoa to chocolate
NEWS from The Korea Herald
"By using dark chocolate instead of products made with milk, one can binge until their stomachs are content and only have to suffer a wicked caffeine high for the afternoon.
According to new research, dark chocolate has anti-oxidant properties that protect the heart and arteries from damage, sort of like removing rust from an old car. However, mixing it with dairy products gives it the opposite effect, clogging you up like a California mudslide.
"It's also good for mental health," said assistant chef Chang Hyun-ho. This is why "Death by Chocolate," costing 20,000 won and includes coffee, is aimed at people looking for a place to chat in the afternoon and needing something more stimulating than crackers to keep the conversation alive."
By The Journal - An unusual wedding Feb 21 2005
When Deborah and Mark Jackson from Darras Hall, Ponteland got married almost two months ago, they wanted an unusual day that their guests would never forget.
The couple, who have been together for eight years, opted for a New Year's Eve wedding at Matfen Hall, Northumberland, with festive reds and golds and a sumptuous chocolate fountain.
Said Deborah, 27, a PA and former estate agent: "New Year's Eve always seems to be a bit of a flop because no-one knows what to do. You're either with family or friends but not usually with both so it seemed like a good idea to bring everyone together for our wedding."
Mark, 29, who runs his own business selling imported sports cars, had proposed in October 2003 but it wasn't quite the romantic occasion he had envisaged.
Deborah said: "We were in the local pub and got into a bit of a debate about marriage. What I didn't know was that he'd already bought a ring to propose on our holiday to Crete a few weeks later - but he ended up having to ask me in the pub instead!"
The couple chose Matfen Hall because they'd been to one of their wedding fayres and thought the Great Hall was the perfect setting for their marriage. Unfortunately New Year's Eve was already booked for a wedding but they got a phone call a month later to say it had been cancelled.
"The setting was lovely," said Deborah. "The Christmas tree was still up and we had lots of red and gold decorations and candles everywhere. We even hired extra Christmas trees and fairylights for the entrance.
"Our favours were all in red and gold too - a red velvet bag with perfume for the women and cigars for the men."
One of Deborah's specific requests was for a chocolate fountain, which was placed at the evening buffet as an alternative dessert.
Deborah said: "One of my bridesmaids had seen one at a racecourse but the local company couldn't do it for that date so I used a company based in Essex which covers the whole country.
"It was a big stainless steel fountain with four tiers and cost £495. It came with 10kg of Belgian chocolate, which the staff at Matfen had to melt in batches in the microwave before feeding them into the fountain. You just press a button and the chocolate starts to cascade. The guests had marshmallows, strawberries and other things to dip in."
But that wasn't the only unusual touch. The couple also had a magician entertaining the guests and they wrote their own vows to make it more special.
Deborah said: "We both knew what we were going to say, it would've been too emotional to hear it for the first time!"
Deborah and Mark hired their chocolate fountain from The Original Chocolate Fountain Ltd. Prices start from £334.88 for a small `dry hire' package, up to £1,057.50 for the `complete package' with larger fountain, dipping foods and uniformed operator to set up and run it throughout the night.
Other companies that do chocolate fountains for North-East functions include, www.chocolatefalls-scotland.co.uk
Why we love chocolate so much...
Aroma
The bouquet of fresh chocolate is itself a powerful stimulant.
Taste
Chocolate contains at least 300 natural chemical compounds, resulting in a complex range of taste, which connect with our brain as they run over the most sensitive taste zones of our tongue.
Appearance
Well-made chocolate has a sheen which varies from a brilliant glossy shine to a silky lustre.
Mind
A good dark chocolate should have at least 53% cocoa solids and a good milk chocolate 30% or more to deliver an authentic chocolate flavour.
Texture
Cocoa butter melts at just below blood temperature, the same temperature as our mouths, which accounts for that yielding-oozing sensation after the first few seconds.
How to spot the symptons of the Chocolate Bliss Point!
~ Vigorous nodding of the head
~ Emitting of low moans
~ Collapsing back into chair
~ Glazed look in eyes or maniacal gleam
Chocolate links
chocolate history |
humour |
types |
legend |
facts |
timeline |
chocolate shop
