It relaxes and is stimulating at the same time. According to Carl Keen, director of the nutrition department at the University of California at Davis, in vitro experiments on chocolate flavonoids a subclass of polyphenols have shown they serve as antioxidants and inhibit low-density lipoprotein cholesterol oxidation much like similar flavonoids in red wine and tea. Other research has shown that chocolate contains more antioxidants than red wine and tea. The food scientist further explains that in addition to its antioxidant content, the fatty part of chocolate cocoa butter doesn t contribute to heart disease. Cocoa butter is composed of three fatty acids, oleic, stearic and palmitic acids.
Flavor is in the taste bud of the taster.
Switzerland and Belgium produce some of the finest chocolates in the world, but domestic companies also produce top-quality chocolate. Then there s low-calorie fat. But not in chocolate. Aside from its beneficial food properties, chocolate has touched cultures worldwide in different ways, Swanson says. Ancient cultures drank lots of hot chocolate for varying reasons, including fertility and long life.