From fear to being open-minded

By Alex P. Vidal

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

–Charles M. Schulz

I HAVE stopped eating chocolates three years ago, the year my doctor in Queens warned me I could end up among over 25 million people in the United States who have type 2 diabetes.

Doctors say the majority of individuals anywhere in the world today with diabetes are not aware they have the condition “due to the fact that the symptoms, seem more like annoyances than signs of a dangerous condition.”

Medical experts have warned it is always important to know the most common symptoms in order to be better aware of any conditions you might be facing.

Eating sweets, especially chocolates, or plenty of them is among the surest ways to get a diabetes, they said.

But all these fears and worries changed after we heard what neurophysiologist and wellness coach Will Clower, Ph.D. explained when, as a guest speaker at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, pointed out, “Chocolate is the perfect metaphor for how healthy people eat. Chocolate has numerous health benefits when eaten in control.”

Clower insisted chocolate functions as an antibiotic and an antiplatelet (similar to aspirin), increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol, decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and contains polyphenols that prevent DNA damage.

Cocoa also contains flavonoids and flavonols that prevent cell damage and inflammation and promote blood health. Chocolate’s health benefits come from cocoa– not added fillers or sugars – so the key is choosing a treat that has the highest percentage of cocoa.

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In its unprocessed state, chocolate is slightly bitter and acidic, which is why many chocolate manufacturers add sugar and other fillers to raise its pH level to neutral. Unprocessed or “raw” chocolate is better for you, said Dr. Clower, so let’s look for these keywords on the label and the percentage of cocoa or cacao the treat contains.

-Unsweetened chocolate contains 100 percent cocoa.

-Bittersweet or dark chocolate contains 35-99 percent cocoa.

-Milk chocolate contains at least 10 percent chocolate liquor.

-White chocolate contains no cocoa.

“The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more you can have of it,” he explained. “Low-cocoa chocolates are high in sugar and fillers, so those are the things to absolutely avoid.”

For example, a chocolate bar with 85 percent cocoa has less sugar than milk chocolate varieties and more heart-healthy cocoa butter. As a bonus, richer dark chocolate is usually more satisfying, meaning you can eat less.

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In addition, here’s what we learned about eating chocolates with or without any occasion or season like the Yuletide, where everyone wants to give chocolates as gift.

Over-eating of chocolate can be tantamount to slow motion suicide, although it contains health benefits if we eat moderately.

Some of the health benefits of chocolate are:

–Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. However, chocolate with high sugar content will negate this benefit, according to Cocosymposium. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts of cacao and lower amounts of sugar than white chocolate, making it more healthful.

–The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

–Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

–The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which can raise good cholesterol.

–Men who eat chocolate regularly live on average one year longer than those who don’t.

–The flavanoids in chocolate help keep blood vessels elastic.

–Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

–The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

The health risks of chocolate are:

–Chocolate may contribute to lower bone density.

–Chocolate can trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.

–Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

–Chocolate is a danger to pets (chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine, which animals are unable to digest).

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Christmas is a time for eating chocolate.

Consumption has come a long way since the first “eating” chocolate was introduced in England by the Bristol firm of Fry and Sons in 1847.

Much debate and mythology surround people’s craving for this confection, which has been blamed on depression, the menstrual cycle, sensory gratification, or some of the 300 plus chemicals that it contains.

The sensuous properties of chocolate depend on the fat it contains.

Roger Highfield explains in The Physics of Christmas that

Cocoa butter can solidify in half a dozen different forms, each of which has a different effect on “mouthfeel” and palatability.

Form V predominates in the best chocolate, making it glossy and melt in the mouth.

Unlike other plant edible fats, which are usually oils, Highfiled explains that cocoa butter is enriched in saturated fatty acids so that it is solid under normal conditions and has a sharp melting point of around 34C, just below the temperature.

Heat is absorbed when this occurs, giving a sensation of coolness on the tongue.

“Another reason we like chocolate is the stimulatory effects of caffeine and related chemicals. Every 100 grams of chocolates contain 5 milligrams of methylxanthine and 160 milligrams of theobromine (named after the cocoa tree, whose botanical name, Theobroma cocoa, means “food of the gods”). Both are caffeinelike substances,” Highfield points out.

Originally, chocolate was a stimulating drink. The name is derived from the Aztec word xocalatl, meaning “bitter water.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor in chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)