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Dr. Swati Piramal is the Chief Scientific Officer of Nicholas-Piramal
India Ltd. and Piramal Hospital. She is the co-author
of Eat Your Way to Good Health, a complete fitness guide
for the family. Her e-mail address is spiramal@vsnl.com |
More than 6000 years ago, (about 4000 years B.C.) the cocoa
tree was indigenous to equatorial America. The Mayan Empire
was at the peak of its power around 900 A.D. and cocoa powder
was firmly incorporated into Mayan lifestyles. A century later,
the Mayan Empire fell to the Aztecs. Montezuna ruled the Aztec
empire, and cocoa was a traditional compound in Aztec rituals.
In 1502, Columbus sailed into the Americas -learned of cocoa,
and the intelligence was carried back to Spain! (Maybe this
wonderful new discovery prompted Spain to conquer Mexico a
few years later!) Cortez returned to Spain with his precious
plunder - amongst the treasures, the cocoa bean!
Trust the English to make one of the sweetest innovations
in the world! In 1560 John Chiltern, an Englishman writes
of a delightful new beverage - drinking chocolate!
Wrote Joseph Accosta about the English "The chief use
of cocoa is a drink called chocolate wherof they make great
account!"
The Spaniards did not rest easy, and brought cocoa to Java,
(which till today has some of the best cocoa & coffee
in the world!) The French planted cocoa trees in the Island
of Martinique. Carletti brought chocolate to Italy. In 1615
chocolate was a delicacy at the Royal Court of France, famous
for its fine culinary traditions. The Emperor declared that
there was to be a monopoly in the distribution of chocolate!
Interesting things begin to happen at this time, in "chocolate"
history! Chocolate begins to have strange effects in the love
life of people who consume it! Fransico Rauch publishes a
treatise, in which he declares that chocolate is "widely
accountable for the committal of various excesses especially
in the case of monks!"
"What was these strange effects?" scholars asked.
Dr. Duncan of the faculty of Montpelier writes that chocolate,
coffee and tea were first used as medicines, but since these
were made delicious by sugar, they became a poison! Scholars
and scientists began to observe the aphrodisiac properties
of chocolate!
In 1712, The Spectator newspaper in London proclaimed "
I shall advise my fair readers to be in a particular manner
careful how they meddle with romances and chocolate!"
The Italians (whose reputation as the best Latin Lovers who
revere romance) began to call the cocoa tree as "Food
from the Gods!"
The big names in chocolate began to spring up all over the
world. Ghiradelli in California, Cailler in Switzerland, Van
Houten in Belgium, Peters in Holland. Bournville was famous
for its cocoa, and Cadbury for its Milk chocolate, and Lindt
for a special technology that made chocolate smooth and melt
in the mouth! Chocolate began to be added to pastry and Sprungli
- the place of pilgrimage for dessert addicts gave away 2
million bars of chocolate on it's 150 anniversary. The owners
of Mars are still one of the richest families in the world!
Is chocolate healthy? This controversial question arouses
much debate amongst doctors. Here is the nutritional value
of a 100 gm bar of chocolate - 100 gms Calories Protein Carbohydrate
Fat
Milk chocolate 588 8.7 54.5 37.6
Dark chocolate 544 5.6 52.5 35.2
Cocoa Powder 452 20.4 35.0 2.56
Caffeine is an alkaloid found in coffee, tea and cocoa. This
mildly stimulating alkaloid, found in the cocoa bean is threobromine.
The amount of caffeine in chocolate is negligible. Cocoa powder
is most of the fat removed and is high in protein. New research
indicates that dark chocolate, like red wine, contains a substantial
proportion of flavinoids - possibly good for the heart. The
dentists do not like the effects of chocolate on the teeth,
but the ill effects on the gums and teeth may be more, because
of the sugar rather than the cocoa! Chocolates are thought
to be the causative agent in cases of pimples and acne, but
the jury is still out on this important condition affecting
teenagers!
Some ongoing research at the Cleveland Clinic in the USA,
claims that the fat in chocolate is a stearate, with no ill
effects on cholesterol! Chocolate lovers will be happy about
this!
Readers must remember, that humans have been consuming chocolate
from 6000 years, and the human race has survived and grown!
Chocolate has not killed anybody yet ! (like cigarettes),
and may have de-stressing effects on humans, by improving
their romantic temperaments! No wonder chocolate sales go
up at festive times like Valentine's day and Christmas! The
moral of the story is, chocolate in moderation is probably
harmless, and not eating too much of it, can help diseases
like gingivitis, diabetes and acne stay away! Instead as you
eat that small piece of chocolate, think of pleasant romantic
thoughts! That's much healthier!
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