Chocolate is delicious and healthy

Chocolate is a food article that is made from cacao. The cacao is made from the seed of the fruits of the cacao tree. The melting point of chocolate is just a little lower than our body temperature, which causes the chocolate to melt in your mouth. Research about the popularity of milk chocolate, pure chocolate and white chocolate showed that milk chocolate is most popular.

In 1521 the Spanish Hernan Cortez visited the Aztecs in Mexico. The Aztecs gave him some cacao beans and a recipe for a cacao drink when he left. The cacao drink was called chocolat by the Aztecs, the recipe was a secret. Only in 1825 the Dutchman Van Houten discovered a way to press the cacao butter out of the cacao beans which was the basic principle for the making of cacao powder and chocolate.

Production of cacao

Cacao beans grow in tropical countries. The cacao beans undergo fermentation and are dried in the country of origin. After arrival in the production country, the beans are cleaned and roasted at a temperature of 140 degrees Celsius. The origin of the beans and the duration and temperature of the roasting mostly determine the final taste. The roasted beans are then broken in machines and the skin is blown away so only the seed remains. The seeds are grinded until a thick cacao mass develops. The fat that is withdrawn from this mass is the cacao butter and the solid substance that remains is the cacao powder.

Composition of chocolate 

Milk chocolate, pure chocolate and white chocolate are the different kinds of chocolate. The composition determines which kind of chocolate it is and in the Netherlands this is controlled strictly. It is not easy to make chocolate, it needs craftsmanship.

• Pure chocolate is made of cacao powder, cacao butter and icing sugar or sweetener amongst other things. According to Dutch standards, pure chocolate must contain at least 35% cacao elements and 18% cacao butter.
• Milk chocolate contains almost the same ingredients as pure chocolate with the addition of milk powder. In the Netherlands it must contain at least 25% cacao elements and at least 14% milk elements.
• White chocolate contains no cacao powder but cacao butter, milk powder, vanilla and icing sugar or sweetener. White chocolate must contain at least 20% cacao elements and 14% milk elements.

To bind the chocolate, manufacturers use Soy lecithin. 

The effects of chocolate

Chocolate has many positive effects, but it also contains saturated fats and sugars, which are not good for your health if you eat too much of it. Chocolate is a food article that contains theobromine, caffeine, antioxidants and tryptophan amongst others. Pure chocolate has the most positive effect on your health, since the percentage of cacao elements is the highest. Choose therefore preferably chocolate with at least 78% and at the most 88% cacao. Chocolate that contains more than 88% cacao can be very dry and brittle.

Advantages of eating chocolate

• The antioxidants (flavonoids) help to reduce wrinkles and chances of skin cancer.
• It causes a feeling of relaxation because of the antioxidants.
• The antioxidants in chocolate protect against cardio vascular diseases.
• The magnesium in chocolate helps the metabolism.
• Chocolate works as an antidepressive, since eating chocolate helps making endorphin in your brain.
• Chocolate helps against fatigue because of the caffeine.

Things to know about chocolate

• The milk in chocolate milk causes the antioxidants in the chocolate to assimilate slower in to the body.
• Chocolate sauce is not healthy, since the healthy food elements were lost during cooking.
• The body of a dog can’t process the theobromine in chocolate. Even a few grams pure chocolate can cause the death of a dog.
• Circa 10 grams pure chocolate per day is enough to provide a human with the favourable effects.

Sources: www.todio.nl