Finding a way to forget about that chocolate hiding away in the kitchen cupboard may not be as difficult as first thought, new research from University of Sussex psychologists has found.
Sep 07, 2020
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Eating chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology ...
Jul 22, 2020
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Image-and-text health warning labels, similar to those on cigarette boxes, show potential for reducing the consumption of alcoholic drinks and energy-dense snacks, such as chocolate bars, according to a study published in ...
Apr 01, 2020
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You probably already realize that adding zucchini or carrots to a cake won't magically make it low calorie or healthy. But you might not realize that there are many foods that sound healthy but really aren't.
Oct 23, 2019
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When you're sleep deprived, you tend to reach for doughnuts, fries and pizza. A new Northwestern Medicine study has figured out why you crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods after a sleepless night—and how to help thwart ...
Oct 09, 2019
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Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut on Friday unveiled a new formulation that packs in the parts of the cacao fruit it used to toss away, taking aim at younger generations.
Sep 28, 2019
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Creamy chocolate pudding is major comfort food, but most store-bought and even homemade versions have loads of sugar and little nutrition. Yet it is possible to make a super chocolatey pudding that's also good for you.
Aug 27, 2019
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Massachusetts health care officials say there has been an increase in calls to the state's poison control center about toddlers ingesting marijuana products.
Aug 16, 2019
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A recent study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety has attracted widespread media attention. Media reports said eating chocolate, in particular, dark chocolate, was linked to reduced symptoms of depression.
Aug 16, 2019
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The propensity to overeat may, in part, be a function of the satisfaction derived from eating. A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by Elsevier, found no significant difference in ...
Jul 30, 2019
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Chocolate (pronounced /ˈtʃɒklət/ (help·info) or /-ˈələt/) comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs and the Maya, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground and liquified, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. "White chocolate" contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids (and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).
Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has recently been promoted for its health benefits, including a substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals, though the presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats.
Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular on Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and other holiday symbols on Christmas, and hearts on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, to produce chocolate milk and hot chocolate.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
