Bad effects of chocolate Chapter One — Introduction to the Problem Introduction to the Problem In today's society, chocolate is everywhere. It seems that people have developed a love-hate relationship with chocolate. According to the US Department of Commerce, the average American ate 11.
7 pounds of chocolate in the year 2000. American adults ranked chocolate as the most-craved food and as their favorite flavor by a three-to-one margin. Throughout the world exists a society of chocolate lovers. While Americans consume an average of nearly 12 pounds of chocolate per year, we are not the biggest fans.The British eat 16 pounds each and the Swiss, inventors of milk chocolate, consume the most yearly at 22 pounds per person.
However, while people love it, they can't help feeling a pang of guilt when eating it because over the years, chocolate has gotten a "bad rap" as being an unhealthy food. However, recent research is slowly unraveling the hidden truth about chocolate that it might actually be beneficial to a balanced diet. Despite its name, a typical "milk" chocolate bar provides less than 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of calcium.But, surprisingly, a government survey shows that chocolate and products containing chocolate make substantial contributions to our daily intake of copper, an essential mineral in the prevention of anemia and, possibly, heart disease and cancer.
Chocolate also provides significant amounts of magnesium, which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and building bones. Statement of the Problem Research that portrays chocolate as a healthy food may encourage chocoholics to toss aside their feelings of guilt and indulge to their heart's content.After all, research shows that chocolate is good for the heart. However, many agencies, such as the British Heart Foundation, are arguing that advising people to eat chocolate regularly is a reckless message that should be ignored.
A more accurate message would be, according to the British Heart Foundation, to "enjoy a little chocolate in moderation, but ensure you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables daily to get all the flavonoids you need without the added fat. " (Steinberg) For example, esearch has shown that high amounts of flavonoids, which are found in chocolate, may also positively affect mechanisms involved in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. However, this information does not mean that large amounts of chocolate in the diet are going to prevent heart disease. The purpose of this study is to show that chocolate can be taken off the "guilty foods" list and added to the list of foods that are a part of a healthy diet. But it is important to also show the damaging effects of eating chocolate, which may be downplayed by the newest research promoting chocolate.Research Questions How can chocolate be beneficial to a balanced diet? In what ways can chocolate be harmful to the body? How has chocolate been used and abused throughout history? Significance of the Study While initial research on the benefits of chocolate is encouraging, it is obvious that large-scale, controlled human studies are missing and more research is needed.
Chocolate was long believed to be a source of saturated fats, a type of fat that can have negative effects on overall health.More recently however, a number of studies have identified the fat in chocolate as being stearic acid, a type of fat that the body converts through a series of biochemical changes, into oleic acid, which does not have the same deleterious effects. The problem lies with the type of chocolate. Rich, dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content is a potential source of antioxidants, but what makes up the remaining 30%? Also, it appears that many studies that have been performed have been minimal and their results have been somewhat misleading.
It is important to examine the facts and the result of the research to come to a conclusion about whether chocolate is good, bad or both. Definition of Terms Acne: an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin that is marked by the eruption of pimples or pustules, especially on the face. Anandamide: a messenger molecule that plays a role in pain, depression, appetite, memory , and fertility. Antioxidants: a substance, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta carotene, thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation.Calories: a unit of energy-producing potential equal to this amount of heat that is contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body.
Catechins: a crystalline substance, C15H14O6, derived from catechu and used in tanning and dyeing. Chocoholic: a person who craves chocolate. Cholesterol: a white crystalline substance, C27H45OH, found in animal tissues and various foods, that is normally synthesized by the liver and is important as a constituent of cell membranes and a precursor to steroid hormones.Its level in the bloodstream can influence the pathogenesis of certain conditions, such as the development of atherosclerotic plaque and coronary artery disease. Conching: a flavor developing process that kneads the chocolate. Depression: a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death.
Fats: macronutrients which are essential to life and provide a useful source of energy while insulating the body and its organs against the cold.They also build and maintain body tissue while assisting in the transport of fat-soluble vitamins throughout the body. Flavanoids: a grouping of micro-nutrients are 12 classes that individually total over 20,000. One plant or herb may contain hundreds of flavonoids. The more well researched flavonoid classes are flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, quercetin, anthocyanidins, and catechins. Flavonoids therefore make up the largest group of anti-oxidants.
Hyperactive: highly or excessively active.Magnesium: a light, silvery-white, moderately hard metallic element that in ribbon or powder form burns with a brilliant white flame. It is used in structural alloys, pyrotechnics, flash photography, and incendiary bombs. Nutrient: any substance that provides essential nourishment for the maintenance of life. Obesity: the condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat.
Oleic Acid: an oily liquid, C17H33COOH, occurring in animal and vegetable oils and used in making soap.Palmitic Acid: a fatty acid, C15H31COOH, occurring in many natural oils and fats and used in making soaps. Phenylethlamine: a chemical that speeds up the flow of information between nerve cells. Chapter Two — Review of Related Literature and Research Review of Related Literature and Research Despite the fact that chocolate has gotten a bad rap over the years, many studies show that, in many ways, it is a healthy food. Particularly over the past decade, scientists, professors, nutritionists and researchers have completed projects that show that chocolate can be good for people.
Studies on chocolate are varied and each one gives a different reason for the popularity of the food. One conclusion is that this food holds benefits for humans in several different ways. Health wise chocolate has components that help fight heart disease. It also has the ability to make people happier and gives a boost of energy. All of the studies prove that chocolate is unlike any other sweet. The reasons for these differences are not yet completely understood.
However each study is helpful in understanding the science of chocolate.
