BITE
CHOCOLATE: HOW SWEET IT IS
by Carrie Hillard
The romantic treat is here to help your heart
To quote Lucy Van Pelt from Peanuts, "All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!"
With its smooth, rich flavor, a small piece of chocolate can bring about feelings of euphoria. Valentine's Day gives us the perfect excuse to indulge in this sweet treat, but research reveals we may not need this excuse any longer.
Several studies in recent years have discovered that chocolate possesses nutritional benefits — fantastic news for chocolohics everywhere.
A recent study in the Journal of American Science shows positive vascular effects from the consumption of chocolate,says Penny Kris-Etherton, a registered dietitian at Pennsylvania State University; however, "we are a long, long way from saying chocolate can help cure or control heart disease and diabetes, but it may help protect blood pressure."
Some of the health benefits may be due to the cocoa bean's high quantity of antioxidants, similar to the amounts found in red wine.
These antioxidants, called flavonoids, have been shown to help reduce blood clots and heart disease. Basically, the flavonoids in chocolate help keep the blood flowing says Ann Chapman, a registered dietitian at Watkins Health Services.
KIT LEFFLER
The study shows that small amounts of chocolate actually caused relaxation of the arteries, Kris-Etherton says. She adds that chocolate protects "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) from being oxidized, a process which normally leads to the clogging of arteries.
"good" (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) cholesterol, which keeps the arteries open and healthy.
Studies show that the antioxidants in chocolate also aid in increasing the
Lucky for us, these flavonoids can be found in some varieties of chocolates. Dark chocolate has two to four times more flavonoids than milk chocolate, and white chocolate has none, Chapman says.
Dark chocolate may not be the only chocolate rich with flavonoids. People just don't know what the flavonoid-rich chocolates are Kris-Etherton says. Some milk chocolate can have high flavonoid content. It all depends on the richness of the cocoa plants and how much cocoa manufacturers use to make their final confection.
Kate Gannon, Lawrence nontraditional student, says she has developed a taste for dark chocolate over the years. "I used to like the light, sugary taste of milk chocolate. But knowing there are more quality beans in dark chocolate has made it more appealing to me," she says.
The main criteria to determine the quality of chocolate are the bean quality and the amount of time chocolate is conched, or mixed, says Cheryl Wetherington, owner of Riverfront Chocolates. To compare, Hershey's chocolate is conched for 90 minutes, but Guiltard chocolate, a gourmet chocolate sold at Riverfront Chocolates, is conched for 70 hours. Kris-Etherton says she hopes that someday chocolate will have labels that tell consumers the amount of flavonoids the product contains.
Before you start stuffing your face with chocolate like Augustus Gloop, remember that it's by no means a health food. Most servings are full of empty calories from
saturated fats and sugar. Chocolate is highly caloric and, compared to 20 calories in a cup of broccoli, one cup of chocolate has 1,000 calories Chapman says. Eat enough of it and it may expand your hips rather than help your blood flow.
When eating chocolate, keep your portions small and controlled, and try
to lean towards dark or flavored rich chocolate, Chapman says.
It looks like our mothers were right — moderation is the key to a healthy diet.
Now you can feel a little less guilty about indulging in some chocolate this Valentine's Day.
Bon appetit,chocoholics!
TYPES OF CHOCOLATE
MILK CHOCOLATE
made with 10-20 percent cocoa solids which include cocoa and cocoa butter; contains more than 12 percent milk solids.
→SWEET DARK CHOCOLATE
- contains 35-45 percent cocoa solids;
can be interchanged with semi-sweet chocolate in recipes.
→SEMI-SWEET DARK CHOCOLATE
a favorite for baking; contains 40-62 percent cocoa solids; can be interchanged with sweet dark chocolate in recipes.
BITTERSWEET DARK
CHOCOLATE
CHOCOLATE — contains at least 35 percent cocoa solids, but quality dark chocolate contains 50-85 percent; can not substitute with semi-sweet or sweet chocolate when baking.
UNSWEETENED DARK
CHOCOLATE
CHOCOLATE — a bitter chocolate; contains almost 100 percent cocoa solid;s used only for baking; taste not suitable for eating.
$\Rightarrow$ WHITE CHOCOLATE — not
technically called 'chocolate' because of its low cocoa solid content; doesn't contain any non-fat ingredients from the cocoa bean, which gives it its white color; primarily used in baking desserts.
Source:www.cacaoweb.net
FACT OR FICTION: I hit Wescoe beach and asked students what myths they've heard about chocolate
MYTH: "Chocolate causes acne."
FICTION: You can breathe a sigh of relief. Several studies in the past have failed to find a link between chocolate and acne.
MYTH:"Chocolate is a good source of caffeine."
FICTION:Actually, 1.55 ounces of chocolate has only about 10 milligrams of caffeine,
compared to 100 milligrams found in one cup of coffee.
Katy Graves, Hutchinson junior
FACT: Phenylethylamine in chocolate triggers feelings similar to "falling in love," while anandamide in chocolate
MYTH: "Women crave chocolate."
Mandy Buckwalter, Hutchinson junior
stimulates brain receptors similar to that of other addictive substances. Scientists have not been able to tell what exactly causes you to crave chocolate, but these substances suggest that chocolate cravings can and do happen.
Sam Edelstein, Omaha sophomore
MYTH: "Dark chocolate has antioxidants that are good for you."
FACT:True
Sources:Yale New-Haven Hospital with ynhh.org and Ann Chapman, Watkins registered diettian
02.09.2006 JAYPLAY
←05