Biology Blog Post
Huang Liushu (9)
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Chocolate, made from cacao seeds and usually sugar, is thought to be an effective food to provide energy, especially for athletes who require more energy than normal people.
Nowaday, cholocate is used as an ingredient to make jams, cakes, drinks, etc. This fact makes us more curious about its composition.
The composition of cocoa and chocolate has been extensively studied. The fat in chocolate, which is primarily derived from cocoa, is comprised of two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, and the monounsaturated oleic acid, in addition to a small amount (less than 5 percent) of other fatty acids.
Although consumption of saturated fats is considered to raise cholesterol, and thus raise the risk of heart disease. Nonetheless, regular consumption of cocoa butter and chocolate has been repeatedly shown to not raise blood cholesterol.
Further research has shown that this is probably due to the relatively high concentrations of stearic acid, which studies have shown to have a cholesterol-neutral effect, and oleic acid, which is known to have mild cholesterol-reducing effects. Therefore, the fats present in chocolate are not real threats as people thought before.
In addition to the fat and simple sugars present in chocolate, the cocoa component in chocolate is rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, copper, potassium and manganese. Indeed, chocolate is thought to be one of the largest single contributors of copper to the diet in the United States. For more information on these nutrients, see BellyBytes.com: Essential Nutrients
Here is a table showing components of 100 g of good quality chocolate.
From the table, we can see that lipids and carbohydrates are abundant in chocolate. Chocolate also contains many types of mineral substances and vitamins. The content of each nutrient is varied a little in different types of chocolate.
Those values can of course be changed by the presence of additives e.g. wal-nuts, hazel-nuts, almonds, raisins and other dried or candied fruit. Chocolate in fact is a high-grade and natural food.
Some people suggest that we should not eat chocolate because it is sweet but not nutritive. However, compared to pure water (distilled water), which does not contain anything else except water, adequate consumption of chocolate is still acceptable. No matter how nutritious food is, we cannot consume too much. We still need to
overcome our desire and eat properly.
Information taken from http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/chocolate.html
http://www.info-galaxy.com/Chocolate/From_Bean_to_Chocolate/Chocolate_Composition/chocolate_composition.html
1 comment:
I agree with Liushu, it is important that we consume chocolate moderately and control our intake of chocolate.
As we all know, chocolate contains caffeine, which has many positive and negative effects on us.
According to James Mills, M. D. (1995), a moderate amount of caffeine is 300 milligrams per day.
Positive Effects of caffeine
1)shown in studies to “increase basal metabolic rate” (Roberts, 2003, p. 4)-is a central nervous system stimulant
2)caffeine delays fatigue and increases alertness, which would allow the body to exercise longer.
3)“Caffeine gives a person a quicker reaction time” (Debenedette, 1996, p.33)
4)chocolate extends endurance performance during moderately strenuous aerobic exercise
Negative effects of caffeine
1)Caffeine causes the heart to beat faster and causes a rise in blood pressure. researchers to believe that caffeine consumption leads to heart disease
2)“Too much caffeine can cause diarrhea because it speeds the action of the lower intestine” (Debendette, 1996, p. 33).
3)Too much caffeine can cause “jitters, irritability, light-headedness, anxiety, and nervousness” (Debendette, 1996, p.30).
From the above, we know that chocolate will only benefit us if we consume it moderately and it will have negative effects on us if we do not control ourselves!
The following are some links where i got the information from:
Debenedette, Valerie. (1996). CAFFEINE. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
International Food Information Council Foundation. (1997). Everything You Need to Know About Caffeine. Washington, DC: IFIC Foundation.
Mills, James. (1995). Caffeine Myths and Facts. Washington, DC: IFIC Foundation.
Novick, Jeff. (2002). Waking up to the effects of Caffeine. Health Science Magazine.
Roberts, Scott. (2003). Caffeine and Exercise. Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
Shanice Ang(30)
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