Cocoa -- The Next Wonder Drug

[JFLinLA]

Well, they've gotten everyone convinced about the health benefits of chocolate -- at least dark chocolate. Now it seems that cocoa itself also is potentially beneficial for heart disease, diabetes, dementia -- including Alzheimers, and stroke.

Cocoa shows promise as next wonder drug

However, like most things, much can be lost in the processing.

Don't run to the beverage section of your local market right away, however. Hollenberg's and his colleagues' experiments dealt with natural cocoa, not varieties that have undergone extensive processing to suit consumer tastes. The natural stuff is chock-full of ingredients called flavanols, antioxidant compounds found in cocoa beans. Getting cocoa out of nature and into a box on a shelf removes much of the flavanols.

[Kerry Beal]

This to me is the same as the whole 'dark chocolate is good for you' argument. The studies were done on minimally processed chocolate - we are then extrapolating that to say that the highly processed dark chocolate we love so much is just as good for us.

[Pyewacket]

I wish cocoa nibs were more widely available. One way I love to use them is grind them to a texture like espresso coffee and run it with a little coffee through my espresso maker, maybe with a pinch of cinnamon or chili powder. Dark, rich, scrumptiously delicious.

Plus, all the health benefits built right in.

[chefpeon]

I wonder if people realize the irony of all these nutritional food studies:

1. Scientific report comes out saying "x" is good for us.

2. People (lemmings) run out and stock up on "x"

3. A food trend is born.

4. Food trends make already unbalanced diets more unbalanced.

5. Lack of balance=unhealthy.

Mostly, I think people use nutritional reports as a way to justify already unhealthy eating. Which is unhealthy.

The premise of healthy eating will ALWAYS be whole unprocessed foods, in moderation, and in the proper balance. Just like the "secret" to weight loss is less food and more exercise.

I think I'll come out with my own wonder food. I'm gonna call it "BroccoChoc". Yum. Chocolate dipped broccoli bits. Lotsa beta carotene and flavanols to spice up your salad. Or sprinkle it on popcorn!!!! (air popped, of course).

[prairiegirl]

I do chocolate tasting presentations and I always do a ton of research to make sure I am keeping up with the latest buzz. Part of my presentation is about all the health benefits of chocolate. My brother in law is a neurologist and they send me any info they get in their medical journals. Kerry, I am sure with your "day job"!! that you see some of the medical research.

Dark chocoate is getting a lot of attention these days. The forestero contains the highest amount of antioxidants.

[K8memphis]

Oh hell, in a few years they're gonna come out and say chocolate is the mother of all disease and corruption. I'll take it while I can. Guilt free chocolate gorging, come one come all!!

Eat more chocolate!

[Art]

A lot of the studies like this use cocoa where the beans have not been fermented to any great degree. Unfortunately, the fermentation process that usually takes place after harvest not only develops the chocolate flavor but it destroys many of the anti-oxidants that these studies rely upon. Luckily, there are still lots of anti-oxidants left just not as much as there was before.

Cocoa beans naturally have a high percentage of tannins in them as a self protection mechanism used to keep animals from eating the cocoa beans. Cocao trees use the sweet white placenta that surrounds the beans as a way to attract animals. The animals break into the pods to eat this sweet flesh. The beans are loaded with tannins which are very astringent to keep the animals from eating the beans as well. Since the beans taste bad, the beans are dropped on the jungle floor by the animals. The farmers fermentat the cocoa beans after harvest destroying the astringent tannins that are naturally present in the beans making them palatable for us.

When cocoa beans are not fermented or under fermented, the way to remove the astringency is to use a heavy roast. The high heat breaks up the tannins but it also breaks up the anti-oxidants -- so you are back where you were before.

One thing that is worth mentioning are the companies that are marketing "Healthy Chocolate." (We have one here locally -- Xocai ) Most all of them simply buy their chocolate from someone else. Xocai for example uses Callebaut from what I've been able to discover. Of course, many confectioners do as well. So, is there something different from Callebaut from a health food company and Callebaut from a well known confectioner? Personally, I doubt it -- heavily.

Of course, I am very pleased with all the health studies that are coming out about how good chocolate is for us. I suspect that one of the reasons why we as a people have had this fascination with chocolate since the 1500's and those from Central America even earlier is because our bodies were telling us how good it was for us. At the same time though, I think we need to be careful of those who are willing to peddle it as more than it really is.

-Art

Oh, and while I am ranting, I'll tell you what a Tahitian friend told me: "Noni is what we use to dye our tappa cloth but if the Americans want to buy and eat it, we'll be happy to sell it to them."

[hummingbirdkiss]

my theory and I am sticking to it ....chocolate makes me happy ..gives me endorpins and helps my outlook on life become much brighter ...how can I not live longer with chocolate as my medicine

[aguynamedrobert]

I always give this analagy when talking about health with chocolate.

"it's like going to the produce section of your grocery store, you would expect to find something good for you there right?"....Chocolate is a natural product without much added to it(fine dark chocolate)....Even though it goes through fermentation and processing there will still be nutritional value to it. Not as much as if you just ate the cacao seed right out of the pod but it still has nutritional value.

I think that most people don't eat chocolate for its nutritional value but just find it as an excuse to eat more....now of course I have heard "chocolatiers" that make truffles and caramels and things talk about chocolate as a health benefit when that is a far stretch from the research since butter and heavy cream are a major component of those candies.

I think that either way a fine dark chocolate bar arond 70% cacao content will be better for you than a snickers bar so even if some of the nutritional value is compromised during processing it is still WAY better than candy...and it tastes better too...

There's my two cents haha

[prairiegirl]

My reference to chocolate is not a moulded one, but just straight chocolate. The research I have studied is with chocolate. The research is not from cocoa beans that have not yet been fermented. I am not saying that you should eat chocolate to get your daily dose of antioxidants! But, there is some health benefits to a good quality dark chocolate. And have I done an extensive amount of research to know that.

Bye the way Art, I had a good conversation with Clark and I am looking forward to getting some of your fine chocolate for my chocolate tastings.

[Art]

I agree. I guess my rant is more centered against companies like Xocai that take regular chocolate and then throw in a bunch of medical terminology then sell it as a new cure-all. Of course, it is healthy but I doubt much more so than regular chocolate.

I believe the research that chocolate / cocoa is incredibly healthy for us. As I mentioned, I believe that one of the reasons we crave chocolate is because of this. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if a good 70% chocolate has (I'm guessing) less sugar in it than many comparable fruits / vegetables -- once the water has been removed. I'd have to check to be sure but that would be my guess. (Sorry, I've never looked up the sugar content for dried carrots of tomatoes but they are both fairly sweet.)

With Xocai being a local company, I get an unbelievable number of people who want me to buy or even sell their "healthy chocolate" for $100/lb that is essentially repackaged Callebaut. They don't seem to get it when I tell them I have a lifetime supply of chocolate at work. ;-) Xocai has a chocolate drink and also these 1oz blocks of chocolate with dried blueberries and acai berry mixed in. I've met a lot of people who tell me they buy $100 / month of Xocai as a heath supplement and they seem surprised when I tell them that it is the same chocolate as what many confections are made of. They could get the same health benefits from buying regular chocolate and fresh blueberries at the grocery store. (Hmmm... Wouldn't it be better -- fresh blueberries with perhaps a chocolate sauce over it...)

There is research going on by many of the large chocolate companies who are trying to develop new forms of chocolate that is processed in such a way as the anti-oxidants are not harmed (much) during the process. I'm not entirely familiar with the process and it is hard separating out the truth from the marketing. I do expect though that we'll see some interesting developments in the not too distant future.

I think in some ways, it is unfortunate that chocolate gets pigeon holed into being a "candy" or confection where in many ways, I believe it is an incredible "food" in of itself. I find it amazing that when Linnaeus named the cocoa tree "Theobroma Cacao" in his tomb on plant taxonomy, it has been translated by some as the "food of the gods" and looking over chocolate / cocoa's history and especially with the latest research coming out, it could be considered to be just that. And while I'm not a nutritionist, it would be interesting if chocolate ended up being the most perfect food wouldn't it ???

-Art

[K8memphis]

!!!LET THE HEALING BEGIN!!!

sitting cross legged with eyes closed in serenity, face tilted heavenward, one hand in the bowl of kisses (Hershey's) the other hand feverishly unwrapping...

[hmmmmmmmmm]