The impact of chocolate on humans and animals

Taste and effects  :  Many find chocolate taste. The pleasant experience when eating chocolate is because the melting point of cocoa butter (an important ingredient of chocolate) are slightly lower than the body temperature, making it melts in the mouth.
Chocolate is a food that limited quantities theobromine, caffeine and contains tryptophan, substances which may have an effect on the brain. Research into the popularity of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and cocoa powder pointed out earlier that milk chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate. On the basis of the alleged addictiveness of cocoa there would, however, expected that pure chocolate is the most popular, because it is a higher concentration of cocoa [1]. The highest actual percentage cacao in a chocolate bar is 88% because a higher percentage would make the chocolate too dry and brittle (this depends on the production process and any additions in the chocolate; so you can also find chocolate cocoa with higher yields than 88%).

An overview article about the influence of the effects of chocolate is published in May 2000 by researchers at the University of Bristol in the scientific journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour.

Influence on the brain  :  Chocolate is a product that contains various substances that have a proven effect on the brain neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphin, β-phenethylamine [2], the substances caffeine, theobromine and anandamide, a substance that is akin to THC (the active component of cannabis). Because of the presence of these substances is the popular misunderstanding that chocolate would have a stimulating effect on the brain and also addictive. However, this is not the case, because the said substances in such a small concentration of come in chocolate, that an average man many dozens of kilos of pure chocolate should eat in order to experience the slightest effect.

Chocolate can be deadly for dogs and horses, however, theobromine, because their metabolism cannot resolve. If dogs eat chocolate, the theobromine 20 hours in the circulating blood. It can be epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and finally cause death. Mild phenomena are: shivering, cramps, elevated heart rate, vomiting, and diarrhea. If a dog eats chocolate, bring him to the vet. Giving salt to the dog to induce vomiting is not a good solution because the dog can death resulting from a salt poisoning. Can a dog 10 kilograms of 12.5 grams of dark chocolate get all phenomena. Milk chocolate must eat a dog 10 times as much to the effects experienced.

Health :   The Zutphen Elderly Study from 1960 has researched the effects of chocolate on health. In 1985, she has expanded her research. Here are two separate analyses come forth on 27 February 2006 are published in the American medical-scientific journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

It was already known that chocolate favourable effect on the blood pressure and blood vessels due to the antioxidants (flavonoids) in cocoa. We therefore went after or there is also a would be beneficial with regard to the death to heart and vascular diseases, and that indeed turns out to be the case. Requires one per day 4 gram cacao receives. This can be obtained by daily 10 ounces bittersweet or 13 grams of milk chocolate.[source?] On the other hand, that chocolate contains a lot of saturated fat, which is unhealthy.[1] the higher the cocoa content how favourable the ratio between the favourable and adverse effect of chocolate (in the aforementioned small amount per day).

There is also a small amount of toxic substances in chocolate. The human body is sufficient, however, able to handle this toxic substances without adverse effects.

Furthermore, eating milk chocolate are gebitbedervend when a shortage of the teeth. The chocolate itself cannot cause holes, but worsen, as with other foods.

There is also sugar free chocolate on the market. Instead of sugar than another sweetener used.

    Chocolate as a sign of love  

As an aphrodisiac:   Chocolate has the reputation to be an aphrodisiac. The Aztecs believed in the power at the time. It was the Spaniards who took this faith to Europe. There is suspicion that the substance in the phenethylamine underlying chocolate, since this also by humans is created when emotional pleasure is experienced. The caffeine may also present as stimulation means contribute.

The giving away of chocolate products is often seen as a gift of love. Perhaps because of appearance and taste associations that irresistible pralines and other chocolate dishes on many people.

Posted in: Chocolate, Chocolate History