Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV February 13/01

History:

Chocolate was only a drink at first. Starting with the Aztec Emperor Montezuma who mixed it with honey and red chilies. Then Hernando Cortez took cocao beans back to Spain where they made a new drink. Chocolate was guarded a secret for nearly a century. Once it was revealed, hot chocolate beverages became the fashionable drink all over Europe. In 1657 it was advertised as “this excellent West India drink”.

Only in the 19th century was chocolate ever made into a solid by the British chocolate maker J.S. Fry and Sons. Then in the 1870’s Swiss chocolate makers got into the act and added milk and created the first milk chocolate.

Here are some chocolate facts:

Chocolate is not an actual aphrodisiac, but it does have some very pleasant qualities. It contains theobromine, a mild relative to caffeine, and magnesium, a component of some tranquilizers, so it could be said to perk you up and clam you down simultaneously.

Eating chocolate can make you feel good. The reason for this is that the sugar in chocolate is broken down into glucose and absorbed into the blood, which then stimulates the release of insulin. This causes an increase in tryptophan in the blood and allows for tryptophan to cross the blood brain barrier. Tryptophan in the brain is a precusor for serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which makes you feel good.

Chocolate has little effect on cholesterol. It is a plant product and thus cholesterol-free. The highly saturated fat in chocolate is mostly stearic acid, a saturated fat that, unlike other saturated fats, may actually lower cholesterol – fractionally.

An ounce of dark, milk or semisweet chocolate typically has between 140-150 calories and 9-10 grams of fat, which account for 55-65% of the calories.

If a nut, cream or coconut is added, there will be a couple more grams of fat and usually 20 more calories per ounce. If the candy is mostly mint or a cherry, with only a coating of chocolate, there will only be about 120 calories and 2-3 grams of fat in an ounce.

Chocolate is rich in some of the same antioxidants as tea (catechin and epicatechin) which may help protect against heart disease and cancer. One ounce has about as much as a half cup of brewed black tea.

Chocolate does not cause acne.

Chocolate contributes little to tooth decay. Plain chocolate bars, though sugary, are not sticky and clear out of the mouth quickly. In addition, cocoa contains substances that may inhibit bacterial growth that promotes plaque formation and thus cavities.

Nutrition for conquering chocolate cravings:

• Eat a tasty, healthy satisfying diet which optimizes mood.
• Emphasize complex, high fibre carbohydrates
• Include salmon, swordfish and other fish
• Restrict fat to 30% of calories
• If physically hungry when craving chocolate, first eat a tasty, satisfying meal or snack. If you still want chocolate – eat it!
• If psychoclogically hungry when craving chocolate, fist identify the underlying psychological factor. If you still want chocolate – eat it!Few claim that chocolate is a health food, but unquestionably it is beneficial for the soul. And possibly never more so than when a boy buys a heart-shaped box of chocolates and takes it to his sweetheart.Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!