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Chocolate as an
aphrodisiac? |
Well, let's put it this way; people have
believed that since the 18th century.
Eating chocolate certainly is a pleasant
experience. And some people say if you
believe it's true. We can only
say: You have to decide that one on your own.
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Chocolate outsells all other candy |
Yes it's true. At least in the USA, more than half of
all the candy sold is chocolate. And did
you know that chocolate manufacturers use
20% of the
world's peanuts & 40% of the world's almonds...
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White Chocolate is not chocolate |
Absolutely correct.
White chocolate is made from
whole milk, sugar and cocoa butter but
has
no non-fat cocoa solids . Sometimes, white
chocolate is
even made with vegetable oil
instead of cocoa butter.
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Eat
chocolate and live longer!! |
A 1999 article said researchers reported that people who eat
chocolate three times a month
could add a year to
their lives. They say
antioxidants deserve
the credit: 3 oz. of high quality
Swiss
chocolate has 410 mg. - more than a serving of
broccoli. And
an antioxidant-rich diet
helps
protect you from disease, said
researcher Andrew L. Waterhouse, PhD. WOW... imagine
if you ate chocolate three times a day!
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Chocolate causes hyperactivity in kids (so much
sugar): |
This is kind
of an old wives tale, but not
really true. According to numerous studies sugar does NOT
cause hyperactivity in children. Among others, studies at
Vanderbuilt University, reported in the New England Journal
of Medicine [Feb. 1994] found absolutely no evidence that
sugar and hyperactivity were linked at all.
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Chocolate causes acne (or makes it worse): |
Again, studies have reported
no evidence
for this at all.
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Chocolate is addictive! |
Now here's where we must answer the question very carefully
and truthfully. After all, everyone knows you
can't
eat just one M & M!! Chocolate (the cacao)
does contain "stimulants": theobromine &
caffeine. Theobromine is a mild stimulant that
occurs naturally in many plants, including cocoa, tea and
coffee. Theobromine is similar to caffeine except it
stimulates the nervous system about 10 times less. And
caffeine, as many coffee drinkers will
attest know,
is mildly addictive.
Researchers have reported that cacao consumption stimulates
a
mild "marijuana like" effect. It is
however a
harmless euphoria and does in
fact
help to reduce stress. The
amount of caffeine in an ounce of milk chocolate is
about the same as that found in
a cup of
decaffeinated coffee. You would have to eat more
than a dozen Hershey bars, for example, to get the amount of
caffeine in one cup of coffee. (You know, that's not such a
bad idea, is it?)
Here's a statistics for you: According to
Pat Kendall, PhD, a Food Science and Nutrition Specialist at
Colorado State University
Chocolate is the most
commonly craved food in North America - 40% of
American women and 15% of American men are
"chocoholics" (reported on 5/3/2000).
What's the matter guys?
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