C+-+Is+chocolate+healthy?

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 * Is Chocolate Good for You? **

// Organic Chemistry // //Fact Sheet// // By Virginia Carefoote // // Chocolate is known as junk food, but it has many surprising health benefits. I am not suggesting that chocolate is “healthy” because many of these benefits can be obtained through fresh fruits and vegetables, but rather that chocolate is healthier than one might assume. // // Also note that these health benefits are related to the cocoa found in chocolate. Dark chocolate containing a high percentage of cocoa would thus provide the most health benefits and white chocolate (which contains no cocoa, only cocoa butter) would not provide these health benefits. Milk chocolate is somewhere in between – it contains cocoa (and therefore provides health benefits) but also contains a lot more sugar than dark chocolate. //  P There are more than 300 chemicals in chocolate. P Chocolate contains three different stimulants: caffeine, theobromine ( a weaker stimulant present in larger amounts than caffeine) and phenylethylamine. P Phenylethylamine is a stimulant, but also a natural chemical produced by the brain. P The stimulants affect the consumer’s ability to pay attention and keep them alert. Certain studies show that the presence of phenylethylamine mimics the brain chemistry of a person in love. P A certain controversial study shows that chocolate actually has certain substances that affect the brain in the same way as marijuana. Although THC, the active chemical in marijuana, is not present in chocolate, there is a chemical – called anadamide – that produces a similar effect. This chemical is naturally produced by our brain to block out pain and depression. When our body produces anandamide, it breaks it down quickly and the effects don’t last very long. When we consume anandamide in chocolate, the other chemicals in the chocolate slow the breakdown of anadamide, therefore the effects last longer which keep you feeling good. P Polyphenols are found in all plant products, like tea, coffee and chocolate. Dark chocolate is known to have a bitter taste; this is caused by the polyphenols. P Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant. They work in the bloodstream to prevent fats from oxidizing and clogging arteries. Cocoa is rich in flavonols thus can reduce the risk of heart diseases. P Cocoa is especially rich in flavonols, which are flavonoids that can also be found in tea, nuts, berries and wine. Flavonols have been found to increase blood flow to the brain and keep blood vessels pliable thus improving overall heart health. P In the future, scientists may be able to modify the genes of the cocoa tree to create a more nutritious chocolate. Mars has partnered with IBM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a five year project to unravel the genome of the cocoa bean. media type="youtube" key="HJ_cIA8152w?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center"

// Sources: // Gelok, M. (2007). //Chocolate: The Bittersweet Treat.// CBC News. Retreived October 10, 2010, from  Haines, G.K. (2009). //Chocolate: The new health food. Or is it.// ChemMatters. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from  Spadaccini, J. //The Sweet Lure of Chocolate.// Exploratorium Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from 