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Subject a few more and it's done
Date
Sun Sep 6 2009 17:12
Author Magilla Gorilla
(I_saw_you_shit_your_shorts@youareaperv.com)
File: bongwater.bmp
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Chocolate: Behind its Bad Rap
Chapter One — Introduction to the Problem
Introduction to the Problem
In today's society, chocolate is everywhere. It seems that people have developed a love-hate relationship with chocolate. According to the US Department of Commerce, the average American ate 11.7 pounds of chocolate in the year 2000. American adults ranked chocolate as the most-craved food and as their favorite flavor by a three-to-one margin. (Mustad, 2001)
Throughout the world exists a society of chocolate lovers. While Americans consume an average of nearly 12 pounds of chocolate per year, we are not the biggest fans. The British eat 16 pounds each and the Swiss, inventors of milk chocolate, consume the most yearly at 22 pounds per person.
However, while people love it, they can't help feeling a pang of guilt when eating it because over the years, chocolate has gotten a "bad rap" as being an unhealthy food. However, recent research is slowly unraveling the hidden truth about chocolate — that it might actually be beneficial to a balanced diet. (Bloom, Mustad)
Despite its name, a typical "milk" chocolate bar provides less than 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of calcium. But, surprisingly, a government survey shows that chocolate and products containing chocolate make substantial contributions to our daily intake of copper, an essential mineral in the prevention of anemia and, possibly, heart disease and cancer. Chocolate also provides significant amounts of magnesium, which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and building bones. (Edmundson, 1996)
Chocolate Myths
Before examining the possible benefits of chocolate, it is important to understand the myths surrounding the delectable food.
Many people believe that the fat in chocolate will cause high levels of cholesterol in the blood. However, since it is a product of plants, chocolate does not contain cholesterol. It is actually saturated fat that is the culprit of increasing cholesterol in the blood. (Bloom)
Stearic acid, which is the main saturated fat found in chocolate, does not raise blood cholesterol levels. A study in which subjects consumed a 1.4 oz. chocolate bar instead of a high carbohydrate snack revealed that the chocolate bar did not raise low-density lipoprotein levels, known as LDL or "bad cholesterol," but actually increased high-density lipoprotein levels, known as HDL or "good cholesterol."
Many people also look down at chocolate as completely lacking in vitamins and minerals but this is also untrue. When comparing the nutritional values of chocolate milk with regular milk, it is easy to see that chocolate milk has much more sugar than regular milk. Still, it also contains higher levels of zinc, potassium, copper and magnesium. (Steinberg, 2001)
Solid chocolate is a major source of copper, which helps the body use iron and aids in the development of connective tissue, blood vessels, and skin, and magnesium, which is part of the bone structure and plays an important role in the nervous system and in the break down of protein. Another bonus for chocolate milk is that children are more likely to get more of these valued nutrients when offered chocolate milk because they tend to drink two-thirds more chocolate milk versus plain milk.
Contrary to popular belief, chocolate does not cause acne. In a 1970's study carried out at the University of Missouri, test subjects who believed their acne problems got worse within 36 hours of ingesting the "culprit" food were given the equivalent of 230g of chocolate and then observed every day for the week following. (Steinberg, Bloom)
To the amazement of all, no increases in acne were found in response to the food challenges. In a recent study by the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Naval Academy, 65 acne sufferers began to consume large amounts of chocolate. 46 showed no change in their condition, 10 got better and nine got worse. This indicates that acne is not related to chocolate consumption. Further studies show that it is related to hormonal changes that create activity of the skin's oil glands.
Additionally, chocolate is not high in caffeine, as many people think. The amount of caffeine in a typical 1.4 oz. bar or an 8 oz. glass of chocolate milk is equivalent to a cup of decaffeinated coffee with 6 mg caffeine. An ounce of bittersweet chocolate has more; from 5-35 mg caffeine and 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate has 35 mg. These levels are all well below the 140 mg that is in a cup of brewed coffee. Stimulant effects of caffeine can be initiated after consuming 150-200 mg, but this varies from person to person. (Edmundson)
Almost everybody remembers their parents telling them that chocolate causes cavities. But candy alone does not. Susceptible teeth, dental plaque, and food cause cavities. In fact, chocolate and cocoa have the ability to offset the acid-producing potential of the sugar they contain.
Milk chocolate has a high content of protein, calcium, phosphate and other minerals, which have protective effects on tooth enamel. Also, since it contains fat, milk chocolate clears the mouth relatively faster than other candies, so milk chocolate may be less cavity causing.
There is little evidence that chocolate is addictive, although those craving it would say otherwise. The substances found in chocolate do not appear in high enough amounts to exert any significant influence. The most likely explanation for cravings is psychological or sensory. Researchers have found that chocolate aroma has a powerful calming effect. According to Dr. Neil Martin, a senior lecturer in neuropsychology, the sweet smell "may remind people of certain things that are relaxing - or something could be tapping into the sub-cortical emotional centre." (Vinson, 2001)
Researchers at Dundee University suspect the "craving" is simply due to the deep-rooted pleasure of eating chocolate, a combination of sweet taste and creamy texture. Another possibility is the "naughty but nice" factor many people associate with this delicious snack food. (Vinson, Bloom)
The final basic myth surrounding chocolate is that it makes children hyper. However, both the FDA and 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Sugar and Health support findings that neither chocolate nor sugar causes hyperactivity. It is more likely that the environments in which these foods are served are what cause children to get excited.
Statement of the Problem
Research that portrays chocolate as a healthy food may encourage chocoholics to toss aside their feelings of guilt and indulge to their heart's content. After all, research shows that chocolate is good for the heart. However, many agencies, such as the British Heart Foundation, are arguing that advising people to eat chocolate regularly is a reckless message that should be ignored. A more accurate message would be, according to the British Heart Foundation, to "enjoy a little chocolate in moderation, but ensure you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables daily to get all the flavonoids you need without the added fat." (Steinberg)
For example, research has shown that high amounts of flavonoids, which are found in chocolate, may also positively affect mechanisms involved in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. However, this information does not mean that large amounts of chocolate in the diet are going to prevent heart disease.
The purpose of this study is to show that chocolate can be taken off the "guilty foods" list and added to the list of foods that are a part of a healthy diet. But it is important to also show the damaging effects of eating chocolate, which may be downplayed by the newest research promoting chocolate.
Background
For years chocolate has gotten a bad rap for being a guilty indulgence." Seen as a food with a distinctive and tempting flavor that was resisted by health-conscious individuals, this reputation can be seen in the fact that chocolate cake is often called "devil's food." (Coe, 1996)
There are many reasons that chocolate was seen as an unhealthy food. Many health officials labeled chocolate as being associated with fat and refined sugar. It was also said to have high levels of caffeine, and be a contributing factor in a variety of problems, including heart disease and obesity.
This study will show that a lot of chocolate's bad reputation is undeserved. For example, the link between chocolate and disorders, such as obesity and heart disease, is not due to chocolate itself but rather all the high-fat, high-cholesterol butter and cream that is used in chocolate candies and baked goods.
Interestingly, cocoa has actually been used for centuries as an herbal medicine. Central Americans have used cocoa to treat a great variety of things, including fevers, coughs and discomfort associated with pregnancy. There is also evidence that hints that cocoa can be a digestive aid that boosts blood flow to the heart and is useful in helping victims of chest congestion breathe easier. (Young, 1994)
Tests performed by a professor of nutrition and internal medicine on more than 100 volunteers who ate either small amounts of chocolate or who consumed flavonoid-rich cocoa beverages, indicated that the flavonoids in chocolate—compounds that naturally occur in many fruits and vegetables, but are particularly plentiful in cocoa beans—confer helpful effects similar to those produced by low doses of aspirin.
Public health officials often suggest that individuals over the age of 40 take a baby aspirin a day to reduce their risk for stroke and heart attacks. In the United States, it is estimated that millions of individuals take aspirin on a daily basis for its cardio-protective effects.
Scientists have also found that the flavonoids in chocolate may augment the natural oxidant defense systems in the body, which may reduce the risk for certain diseases.
Still, nutrition experts caution that chocolate, which is rich in sugar and fats, should not be viewed as a substitute for fruit and vegetables. Similarly, flavonoid-rich foods should not be viewed as a substitute for low-dose aspirin. This study will examine both the benefits and risks of chocolate in the diet.
Research Questions
How has chocolate gotten a bad rap for being an unhealthy food?
What proof do we have that is a healthy food?
Are the studies on chocolate biased or incomplete?
What are the positive and negative ingredients of chocolate?
How can chocolate be beneficial to a balanced diet?
In what ways can chocolate be harmful to the body?
How has chocolate been used and abused throughout history?
What do nutritionists say about chocolate?
How is chocolate good for the heart?
How is chocolate good for the brain?
What role do the manufacturers of chocolate and chocolate products play in today's research?
Is chocolate a health food?
What kind of research needs to be done in the future?
Are men and women equally attracted to chocolate?
Hypotheses
The purpose of this study to show that chocolate does not deserve the bad rap that it has gotten as an unhealthy food. With a well-balanced diet, eating moderate amounts of chocolate can be beneficial. Still, this study is aimed at providing a complete picture of the studies that have been conducted on chocolate. It is important to know both sides of the story.
While many myths regarding chocolate have been proven wrong, there are still negative effects of eating chocolate. Chocolate is rich in calories and saturated fat, which can lead to disease and obesity. Also, chocolate can be bad for some people.
Chocolate, as well as red wines and certain cheeses, contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a substance that can dilate blood vessels in the brain. People with sensitivity to PEA might find that eating chocolate triggers headaches, even migraines. (Mustad, 2001)
This study will also examine which types of chocolate are most beneficial and which are lacking in nutritional value. It is my goal to prove that chocolate can be beneficial to the diets of many people, provided that they eat it in moderation and in combination with a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Significance of the Study
While initial research on the benefits of chocolate is encouraging, it is obvious that large-scale, controlled human studies are missing and more research is needed.
Chocolate was long believed to be a source of saturated fats, a type of fat that can have negative effects on overall health. More recently however, a number of studies have identified the fat in chocolate as being stearic acid, a type of fat that the body converts through a series of biochemical changes, into oleic acid, which does not have the same deleterious effects.
The problem lies with the type of chocolate. Rich, dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content is a potential source of antioxidants, but what makes up the remaining 30%?
Also, it appears that many studies that have been performed have been minimal and their results have been somewhat misleading. It is important to examine the facts and the result of the research to come to a conclusion about whether chocolate is good, bad or both.
Definition of Terms
**All definitions taken from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Acne: an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin that is marked by the eruption of pimples or pustules, especially on the face.
Anandamide: a messenger molecule that plays a role in pain, depression, appetite, memory , and fertility.
Antioxidants: a substance, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta carotene, thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation.
Calories: a unit of energy-producing potential equal to this amount of heat that is contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body.
Catechins: a crystalline substance, C15H14O6, derived from catechu and used in tanning and dyeing.
Chocoholic: a person who craves chocolate.
Cholesterol: a white crystalline substance, C27H45OH, found in animal tissues and various foods, that is normally synthesized by the liver and is important as a constituent of cell membranes and a precursor to steroid hormones. Its level in the bloodstream can influence the pathogenesis of certain conditions, such as the development of atherosclerotic plaque and coronary artery disease.
Conching: a flavor developing process that kneads the chocolate.
Depression: a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death.
Fats: macronutrients which are essential to life and provide a useful source of energy while insulating the body and its organs against the cold. They also build and maintain body tissue while assisting in the transport of fat-soluble vitamins throughout the body.
Flavanoids: a grouping of micro-nutrients are 12 classes that individually total over 20,000. One plant or herb may contain hundreds of flavonoids. The more well researched flavonoid classes are flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, quercetin, anthocyanidins, and catechins. Flavonoids therefore make up the largest group of anti-oxidants.
Hyperactive: highly or excessively active.
Magnesium: a light, silvery-white, moderately hard metallic element that in ribbon or powder form burns with a brilliant white flame. It is used in structural alloys, pyrotechnics, flash photography, and incendiary bombs.
Nutrient: any substance that provides essential nourishment for the maintenance of life.
Obesity: the condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat.
Oleic Acid: an oily liquid, C17H33COOH, occurring in animal and vegetable oils and used in making soap.
Palmitic Acid: a fatty acid, C15H31COOH, occurring in many natural oils and fats and used in making soaps.
Phenylethlamine: a chemical that speeds up the flow of information between nerve cells.
Phosphate: a molecule containing a phosphorus atom. Phosphate is used by life to carry energy from one molecule to another in ATP. It is also part of RNA and DNA.
Phytochemicals: non-nutrient plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing compounds.
Plyphenol: a substance made when plants go through photosynthesis. It's contained in most plants. In red grapes, tannin and risberitol are the two main types, and in green tea, it's katekin, which is well known.
Potassium: a soft, silver-white, highly or explosively reactive metallic element that occurs in nature only in compounds. It is obtained by electrolysis of its common hydroxide and found in, or converted to, a wide variety of salts used especially in fertilizers and soaps.
Protein: Protein is a macronutrient, composed of amino acids, that promotes the growth and repair of body tissue such as skin, muscle and hair. The daily-recommended intake of protein, depending upon age and gender, can range between 40 grams and 105 grams. Protein is most often found in meat and animal products such as milk and eggs, but can also be found in plant foods like nuts and beans.
Saturated Fat: a fat, most often of animal origin, that is solid at room temperature and whose fatty acid chains cannot incorporate additional hydrogen atoms. An excess of these fats in the diet is thought to raise the cholesterol level in the bloodstream.
Stearic Acid: a colorless, odorless, waxlike fatty acid, CH3(CH2)16COOH, occurring in natural animal and vegetable fats and used in making soaps, candles, lubricants, and other products.
Sugars: carbohydrates, which are macronutrients that serve as the main source of energy for the body. Most carbohydrates consist of a combination of one or more of three single-molecule sugars: glucose, fructose and galactose. Starch consists of long chains of glucose molecules linked together. Table sugar, or sucrose, consists of two sugar molecules (one glucose and one fructose) linked together.
Theobromine: a bitter, colorless alkaloid, C7H8N4O2, derived from the cacao bean, found in chocolate products and used in medicine as a diuretic, vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant.
Zinc: a bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses, anodes, and meter cases, and in roofing, gutters, and various household objects.
Chocolate: Behind Its Bad Rap
Chapter Two — Review of Related Literature and Research
Review of Related Literature and Research
Despite the fact that chocolate has gotten a bad rap over the years, many studies show that, in many ways, it is a healthy food. Particularly over the past decade, scientists, professors, nutritionists and researchers have completed projects that show that chocolate can be good for people.
Studies on chocolate are varied and each one gives a different reason for the popularity of the food. One conclusion is that this food holds benefits for humans in several different ways. Health wise chocolate has components that help fight heart disease. It also has the ability to make people happier and gives a boost of energy.
All of the studies prove that chocolate is unlike any other sweet. The reasons for these differences are not yet completely understood. However each study is helpful in understanding the science of chocolate. Today, the benefits of eating chocolate outweigh any negative effects of the food, but there are still so many gray areas surrounding the research.
A team of scientists has disproved the theory that if something tastes good, it must be bad. The book, Chocolate and Cocoa: A Review of Health and Nutrition, which was commissioned by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) and produced in cooperation with the International Cocoa Research Foundation (ICREF), the educational foundation of the American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI), discusses the latest research on the potential benefits of chocolate and cocoa.
The book has revealed that:
Chocolate lovers can take heart in new research showing that this favorite food is packed with high-quality polyphenol antioxidants that may reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
Stearic acid, the main saturated fatty acid in chocolate, does NOT raise blood cholesterol levels.
It is chocolate's unique taste and sensory properties that make chocolate the single most craved food in the United States.
Cocoa and chocolate are rich in minerals the body needs, including magnesium and iron.
The vast majority of evidence suggests we dismiss the hypothesis that chocolate is a significant migraine trigger.
Chocolate has relatively little impact when it comes to causing dental caries. Chocolate tends to clear the mouth quickly, limiting the time it is in contact with the teeth.
Allergies to chocolate are extremely rare with the more likely allergens being milk, egg, peanut or tree nut components of chocolate products - not the chocolate itself.
Chocolate and cocoa do not cause obesity. It is the quantity of foods eaten, combined with the level of physical activity and underlying genetics, which determine whether a person will gain weight.
According to several recent studies, chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which are the natural chemicals that make red wine healthy. There are actually more flavonoids in two spoons of cocoa than there are in a glass of red wine.
In addition, chocolate contains stearic acid, which is useful in preventing blood clots. Researchers have also found that chocolate is a potent "happy" cocktail of ingredients. It contains caffeine, which is a known stimulant and mood enhancer; and theobromine, which acts as a muscle stimulant.
Chocolate also contains a small dose of anandamide, which is a chemical that stimulates the same part of the brain that marijuana does. However, a person would have to consume 25 lbs. of chocolate during one sitting to get the same effect as marijuana would provide. This explains why eating chocolate makes people feel good, and why some people crave chocolate all the time.
Chocolate also contains potent doses of the polyphenol antioxidants commonly found in green tea. These polyphenols have been proven to protect chocolate from oxidation, which explains while chocolate does not spoil. They are also proven forms of protection from cancer.
Many myths have contributed chocolate's bad reputation. For instance, many people believe that chocolate adds a lot of calories and fat to our diets. However, research performed by Mars, Inc. and several universities shows that less than two percent of fat in the average diet is actually contributed to fat in most developed countries. (Edmondson, 1996)
In these countries, most of the fat comes from meat and dairy products. As long as the diet includes calories from a variety of food, chocolate can be safely included in a nutritious balanced diet, according to research.
Chocolate For the Heart
Phytochemicals called flavonoids that are found in cocoa have two positive effects. First of all, the antioxidants block arterial damage caused by free radicals. These unstable molecules (free radicals) may damage the arterial walls by blocking the artery wall lining. The second indicates, that chocolate inhibit platelet aggregation which could cause a heart attack or stroke. (Vinson, 2001)
There have also been studies indicating that cocoa flavonoids relax the blood vessels that inhibit an enzyme that causes inflammation.
Flavonoids and the subgroup called catechins are found in dark chocolate at four times the amount that is found in green tea. Antioxidants block the free radicals that are breakdown normal cell reproduction.
Phenylethlamines found in chocolate act as a mood altering mild aphrodisiac. This helps people who suffer from depression.
A recent study by Holland's National Institute of Public Health reveals that chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea. Researchers found that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. Catechins are the powerful anti-oxidants that help prevent against cancer and heart disease. By contrast, 100 ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins. (Steinberg, 2001)
UBA and UC Davis Studies
Teams of researcher from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) have discovered that chocolate contains compounds that may promote heart health.
In one study, directed by Carl Keen, professor and chair of the department of nutrition at UC Davis, subjects drank a flavonoid-rich chocolate cocoa beverage. Flavonoids are the largest group of plant polyphenols, an extensive class of antioxidant phytochemicals found throughout the plant kingdom. The consumption of plant-derived flavonoids has been associated for some time with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. (Edmondson, Steinberg, Rozin)
Analysis of the participants' blood revealed that over a six-hour period after drinking the beverage there was a decrease in platelet activation and aggregation, factors that may play a role in the progression of heart disease.
In another study, researchers in the laboratory of Cesar Fraga, professor of physical chemistry at UBA's school of pharmacy and biochemistry, fed participants M&M's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Baking Bits. Fraga and colleagues found that within two hours after ingestion the chocolate led to better absorption of some procyanidins, in addition to an increase in blood antioxidant capacity.
Procyanidins are polyphenolic compounds found in several plant species and commonly consumed foods, including cocoa, tea, grapes, almonds, apples, wine and strawberries. It is believed procyanidins act as antioxidants, modulating key biological pathways in mammals. They may also help protect cells in the body from the potentially harmful effects of free radicals, which have been linked to certain age-related chronic diseases.
That's not all. The researchers also saw a decrease in blood lipid damage by free radicals, a positive development associated with the prevention of heart disease.
"The findings of these studies are consistent with what we might expect to see based on work with other flavonoid-rich foods, such as green tea and red wine, as well as other fruits and vegetables," says Keen. And, he adds, the results of these pilot human trials on chocolate's potential health benefits correspond nicely with earlier in vitro research.
Previous test tube studies have suggested polyphenols found in chocolate may decrease LDL cholesterol oxidation and modulate platelet activity, two potential contributors to cardiovascular disease. In addition, earlier epidemiological studies have associated the consumption of chocolate with improved cardiovascular health. Even so, Keen was somewhat surprised to see the platelet effect to the extent they did.
Saturated Fat
In Keen's study, the fat content of the cocoa beverage was 10%, with a saturated fat level of around 5%-7%. But there is a big difference between the cocoa beverages and some commercial chocolates. (Steinberg, Rozin)
The fat in chocolate from cocoa butter is comprised of oleic acid, a monosaturated fatty acid, as well as stearic and palmitic acids, chemically classified as saturated fatty acids. In previous studies, oleic acid was shown to possibly have beneficial cardiovascular effects.
Several studies have also provided evidence that unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. Other test tube and clinical feeding studies have shown that stearic acid can decrease platelet activity.
So it appears that the potential benefits of chocolate outweigh the negatives. Mars, makers of M&MS, and Snickers and Milky Ways, provided the funding for this project, which leads skeptics to believe that it may be biased.
Research on Tooth Decay and Chocolate
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