Chocolate & Cocoa: Health and Nutrition

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Chocolate Answered in Book, Chocolate & Cocoa: Health and Nutrition

If something tastes that good, it must be bad for you. A team of world-renowned scientists disproves this theory when it comes to chocolate in the soon-to-be-released book Chocolate and Cocoa: A Review of Health and Nutrition. The book, commissioned by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) and produced in cooperation with the International Cocoa Research Foundation (ICREF), the educational foundation of the American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI), discusses the latest research on the potential benefits of chocolate and cocoa.

An international array of cocoa and chocolate experts offer 22 chapters on important topics related to the health and nutritional aspects of chocolate and cocoa. "We are proud to bring you this first-of-a-kind, comprehensive review of the science of chocolate and believe it should be part of every chocolate lover's library," said Dr. Carol Knight, Vice President, International Cocoa Research, ACRI.
Among the book's findings:

• Chocolate lovers can take heart in new research showing that this favorite food is packed with high-quality polyphenol antioxidants that may reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
• Stearic acid, the main saturated fatty acid in chocolate, does NOT raise blood cholesterol levels.
• It is chocolate's unique taste and sensory properties that make chocolate the single most craved food in the United States.
• Cocoa and chocolate are rich in minerals the body needs, including magnesium and iron.
• The vast majority of evidence suggests we dismiss the hypothesis that chocolate is a significant migraine trigger.
• Chocolate has relatively little impact when it comes to causing dental caries. Chocolate tends to clear the mouth quickly, limiting the time it is in contact with the teeth.
• Allergies to chocolate are extremely rare with the more likely allergens being milk, egg, peanut or tree nut components of chocolate products - not the chocolate itself.
• Chocolate and cocoa do not cause obesity. It is the quantity of foods eaten, combined with the level of physical activity and underlying genetics, which determine whether a person will gain weight.
  

"Whether antioxidant benefits, neurotransmitter responses, or your mother's favorite myth, the real reason we eat chocolate may not be so complex," added Knight. "We eat chocolate simply because it tastes good. Chocolate and Cocoa: Health and Nutrition supports what we have known for years - that chocolate can be enjoyed as an important part of a healthful and pleasurable diet." 

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