Cocoa, The Health Miracle
Cocoa is a Trojan horse, carrying into the body many hundreds of natural compounds, some ordinary and some exotic, which work busily to modify mood in subtle yet undeniable ways
Another dimension of the benefits of cocoa and chocolate consumption concerns mood. Cocoa is rich in agents that enhance the production of various feel-good chemicals in the brain, notably serotonin and dopamine. This means that cocoa possesses anti-depressant, mood-elevating properties. This is no surprise to the millions of people who self medicate with chocolate every day. Cocoa, that mysterious and exotic rainforest food from the ancient
Maya, provokes a luxurious, content mood, a serene sense of sumptuous delight.
Cocoa is a Trojan horse, carrying into the body many hundreds of natural compounds, some ordinary and some exotic, which work busily to modify mood in subtle yet undeniable ways.
A growing body of scientific investigation has revealed to some modest extent, how and why cocoa promotes reverie and makes us feel so good.
As I have previously mentioned, cocoa is a veritable cornucopia of naturally-occurring compounds. Of this multitude, the most comprehensively studied are the methylxanthines. The two methylxanthines in chocolate are caffeine and theobromine. Compared with coffee, cocoa is a poor caffeine source. According to the Chocolate Information Center, a 50 gram piece of dark chocolate will yield between 10 to 60 milligrams of caffeine, as compared with a 5 ounce cup of coffee, which can yield up to 180 milligrams. Nonetheless, cocoa can give a modest caffeine lift. Theobromine, the second methylxanthine, occurs at a concentration of about 250 milligrams in a 50 gram bar of dark chocolate.
Like caffeine, theobromine is a central nervous system stimulant, though it is appreciably weaker. But theobromine is a stronger cardiac stimulant, and a more potent diuretic.
The presence of both caffeine and theobromine certainly contribute to the overall mood-modifying effect of this ambrosial food. But cococa is not an especially potent stimulant food per se.
Rather, it is a complex cocktail, whose multitudinous compounds come at the brain in a thousand ways, creating a delightful and sensuous chemical soup which tickles and teases our gray matter, producing a unique reverie no other substance can replicate.
Cocoa is a sensuous delight whose rich flavor, silky mouth feel and earthy aroma have captured the palates and imaginations of people for over three thousand years. You could make the claim that cocoa is aphrodisiac by virtue of smell, taste and feel alone. The recent scientific discoveries regarding cocoa’s love-enhancing components only further bolsters the amorous reputation of this blissful food.