chocolate in the news
Your Gut Bacteria Makes Chocolate Healthier
April 11, 2014
Dark chocolate has been known to have a plethora of health benefits. We’ve heard it time and again that it’s good for the heart and that having chocolate regularly gives you lower body weight.
Just recently, scientists have unveiled one of the many reasons. Bacteria in the gut turn cocoa into compounds that lower inflammation and make us feel full.
Well, isn’t it a delightful time to be a dark-chocolate lover! Word has it that the magic may reside in our own bellies. Science says so. Yeah, science!
Chocolate Cravings Explained
April 4, 2014
Chocolate is one of the world’s favorite things. It’s way beyond just a treat. It’s unimaginable, even, to know there’s chocolate in the pantry and just ignore it. Why can’t we just resist its allure? Why can’t we do without it? The psychology behind these intense chocolate cravings is becoming more and more controversial a topic for researchers.
Dr. Amy Jo Stavnezer, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, can give some explanation for the existence of such cravings. “The experience of eating chocolate releases dopamine in particular brain regions. That same dopamine is released during sex, laughter and other activities that are enjoyable. Moreover, the frontal lobe creates a memory of this experience, so whenever people think of chocolate, the brain craves for that same experience again.”, she says.
Chocolate Diets and Chocolate Pills
March 21, 2014
The idea of a chocolate diet seems to have new company. A new study will determine if collecting the nutrients in dark chocolate, minus the fat and sugar, and putting them in a pill, will do any good.
The key part of this study is the ‘flavanol’ that’s abundant in cacao beans. Several studies have shown how it can be beneficial for arterial health, insulin, blood pressure, as well as cholesterol.
The concepts of chocolate diets and chocolate pills may be rather new, but the health benefits of cocoa have been studied and established for quite a while. The flavonoids in cocoa are renowned antioxidants that help keep stroke and heart attacks at bay.
Chocolate-Flavored Fried Chicken!?
February 28, 2014
It seems as though the prediction that we will experience bizarre food mash-ups in 2014 is coming true.
The word is on the street about a new ChocoChicken restaurant from Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman. You read right, ChocoChicken!
Yes, that’s right, ChocoChicken, as in chocolate and chicken.
Fleischman emphasized right then and there, though, that it’s not gonna be chicken with a mole sauce, or chicken dipped in chocolate. It’s chicken taken to a whole new level. The batter has chocolate infused into it. The world has yet to experience this novelty!
Eat Chocolate, Live Beyond 100?
February 21, 2014
Edna Sandys, 105, recently celebrated her birthday at the Elizabeth Scott Community assisted living and nursing home in the Springfield Township of Ohio. She says her history is already a little hazy, but she feels great.
Mrs. Sandys claims that eating chocolate and drinking hot chocolate have a lot to do with her long and healthy life!
Son, Tom Sandys, along with his wife, Kathleen, said Mrs. Sandys loves healthy living. She has always been healthy, according to them. Being sickly is not her game. Tom Sandys can even imagine his mother living for five years more.
Brush Your Teeth With Chocolate!
February 7, 2014
Crest Be is introducing some new and groundbreaking toothpaste flavors like lime spearmint zest, vanilla mint spark, and mint chocolate trek.
Fret not, your dentist will not disapprove. The executives of Procter & Gamble are quick to point out that Be has the "foundational benefits needed for oral health including cavity protection, cleaning, fresh breath and whitening."
They are expected to hit the shelves first week of February in the U.S., then in Canada shortly thereafter
No To Child-Slavery Laden Chocolates
January 24, 2014
While we all claim to love chocolate, many of us aren’t even aware of the heavy use of child labor in West African cocoa farms, where about 70% of the world’s chocolate comes from. More than 109,000 children are nearly enslaved under “the worst forms of child labor”, according to the US Department of State.
In an attempt to cut costs, cocoa plantation owners get children to work against their will. To add insult to injury, they work for hours on end without any pay.
In response to this madness, activists, NGOs and international organizations started to campaign for awareness about child-slavery laden chocolates. By doing so, they expect consumers will take some initiative to demand change.
Chocolate Prophecies For 2014
January 10, 2014
The taste, shape, and size of chocolates may drastically change in the years to come, in accordance with cocoa price hikes.
The big names in the chocolate industry are bound to tweak their formulations in an attempt to cut costs. Loading bars with sugar is one of the anticipated moves. However, the price of sugar is also foreseen to increase by 8% this year.
There are sugar substitutes, such as steviol glycosides, but they are limited due to added cost and negative effects on the taste.
The Problem with Rising Chocolate Prices
January 3, 2014
Baker's Boutique of Grand Junction, Colorado, makes use of an array of cocoa products when baking. They use it in making the batter, icing, as well as ganache in their infamous chocolate truffle cupcake. Callie Ash, Baker’s Boutique owner, says that it’s no surprise that they are affected when the price of raw materials shoot up. Price increases affect those who try to keep the prices of their products low.
Ash says it’s all about balancing raising prices at the burden of the buyer or taking a hit to their profit margin. Since they pre-ordered for the holiday season, their prices can luckily remain low. However, if reordering is called for, then they would be compelled to pass the price increase to the consumer.
Eat Chocolate Cake Without The Guilt
December 20, 2013
Studies have shown that people who eat sweet treats with an attitude of celebration are more likely to stay fit compared with those who are often plagued with guilt after eating. Those who experience guilt are more likely to gain some unwanted pounds.
This study was published in the current online edition of the journal Appetite, and it shows that how we see treats, such as chocolate cake, is just as important as its caloric value when it comes down to expanding waistlines.