Storytime Tapestry E-zine

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Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Educational Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

March 14, 2008

FASCINATING FACTS and EDUCATIONAL EDIFICATION:

10 Facts you should know about CHOCOLATE

Chocolate is receiving plenty of praise in the medical and nutritional news these days. But there's nothing new about this news.

Chocolate was first used by the Olmecs, an ancient native American people (1500 BC-400 BC). 

It was treasured by the Mayans and Aztecs, then by the Spaniards, who added sugar and brought it to Europe in the 1500s. Folks (including doctors) back then used it to treat fatigue, restore normal body weight, calm jangled nerves, and improve digestion. It was also cherished as an especially effective aphrodisiac.

The recent studies on chocolate show that it's chock full of important nutrients that benefit everything from your heart to your mood. But keep in mind that the research touting all these benefits was on premium dark chocolate, not the highly processed, mass produced, cheap, sugary junk you find in most supermarkets and movie theater concession stands.

A lot of chocolate's benefits are due to the fact that it contains flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants. So, just in time to satisfy your post-holiday,  sweet tooth, here are 10 practical reasons to enjoy your chocolate:

#1: High in antioxidants

Ounce for ounce, it's one of the richest food sources of these crucial substances. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals—rogue oxygen molecules that promote heart disease and cancer and accelerate aging.

#2: Rich in valuable micronutrients

Chocolate supplies meaningful amounts of potassium, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Most  North Americans don't get enough of these nutrients.

#3: Good for cholesterol

The fat itself in chocolate is "cholesterol neutral,” meaning that it doesn't have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. But it has been found to lower bad LDL cholesterol (5-10 percent) while leaving good HDL cholesterol the same.

#4: Lowers blood pressure

People who ate just over 3 ounces of premium quality dark chocolate each day reduced their blood pressure by as many as 10 points in just two weeks, according to a 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Chocolate helps relax blood vessels so blood can flow through them easier.

#5: Helps prevent clots

Chocolate makes platelets, important for clot formation, more slippery. This protects the heart by helping prevent artery blockage.

#6: Anti-cancer effect

The high flavonoid content may have a protective effect against some cancers, based on the more extensive research on flavonoids in tea.

#7: A safe, mild stimulant

Chocolate actually has relatively little caffeine, but many people notice a quick increase in alertness and improvement in mood that can last hours after eating it.

#8: Calms coughs

A recent small study from England showed that chocolate is a highly effective cough suppressant—at least as good as codeine!

#9: Prevents cavities

Yes, you read it right! High quality dark chocolate can help prevent cavities by fighting common mouth bacteria.

#10: Doesn't cause acne

Certainly not in most people. No connection between chocolate and acne has ever been proven.

Does chocolate have  a dark side?

As good as it can be for you, too much chocolate means too many calories. A 3.5-ounce bar can tack on 500 or more calories to your daily diet. Of course, that may mean you eat less later in the day, so let's not be too quick to condemn it. 

Premium dark chocolate actually has little sugar in it, much less than most so-called energy and granola bars, which are mostly expensive junk. Plus, the fat in chocolate slows the sugar's absorption so it won't spike your blood sugar.

What about "chocoholics"? Some may be self-medicating for mild depression. But perhaps this isn't such a bad thing. It's certainly safer than a lot of prescription antidepressants, and I have yet to read of a Doctor treating a patient for a chocolate overdose.

On the down side, chocolate can worsen acid reflux and trigger migraines. If you suffer from either of these problems, you probably already know this.

For most people, my Doctor recommends 1 to 2 ounces high delicious, high-quality, dark chocolate a few days a week as a healthy treat and pick-me-up. (How's that for a prescription!)

Combine it with a dollop of natural peanut butter for a smart "peanut butter cup” snack.

You can also make your own cocoa by mixing unsweetened cocoa powder with milk (I always prefer organic milk, which doesn't have the hormones and antibiotics you get in most milk). Sweeten to taste with a little honey.

Some mass-produced products include chocolate from Ivory Coast plantations, which still rely on child slavery, so I just can't recommend them. But some of my favorite brands of chocolate are Del Rey, Dagoba, Scharffen Arter, Rapunzel, Green and Black, and Valrhona. These are either organic or from small plantation sources of known quality. 

Chocolate tops the list of Antioxidant Foods

Chocolate's health properties are no joke. Check out its ranking on the following list, which shows various foods' antioxidant activity in oxygen radical absorption capacity units per 100 grams (just over 3 oz).

Dark chocolate: 13,120

Milk chocolate: 6,740

Prunes: 5,770

Raisins: 2,830

Blueberries: 2,400

Blackberries: 2,036

Kale: 1,770

Strawberries: 1,540

Spinach: 1,260

Raspberries: 1,220

Brussels sprouts: 980

Plums: 949

Alfalfa sprouts: 930

Broccoli: 890

Oranges: 750

Red grapes: 739

Red bell peppers: 710

Cherries: 670

Onion: 450

Corn: 405

Chocolate and Your Dogs Health--What you should Know

Thanks to a more educated public, fewer fatalities from foods like chocolate are being reported these days.

Who can resist Chocolates for Valentine's Day, Easter and other holidays? Your dogs health depends on it! (resisting, that is). We humans get to indulge because most of us know when to stop. But your dog won't quit after just a few. Give her a chance and she'll down the whole box of Godivas in one gulp. So you're actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself!

**Why is chocolate harmful to a dogs health?**

Chocolate, as you know, is made with cocoa beans. And cocoa beans contain methylxanthine alkaloids in the form of theobromine and caffeinea, which are toxic to dogs. Chocolate can also contain high amounts of fat which can put your dogs health in jeopardy as well.

**How Much is Too Much?**

Though it's certain that dogs and chocolate don't mix, different dogs react differently to the methylxanthines. And reactions can vary according to the age, size and overall health of the dog. The smaller the dog the smaller the dose needed to produce an effect.
And of course, if your dog's health is already weakened by other medical conditions, he's more susceptible. The same holds for older dogs..
Theobromine is present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate:

·White chocolate 1mg/oz
·Hot chocolate 12 mg /oz
·Milk chocolate 44-66 mg/oz
·Semi-sweet chocolate 260 mg/oz
·Dark chocolate 450 mg/oz (wow!)
·Baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz.

**How much chocolate can a dog eat and survive?**

That depends in part on her weight.

Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight (91mg per lb) has not been observed to be fatal. A potentially lethal dose in a 16 pound. dog is only one pound of milk chocolate. Only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog. People stop eating chocolate before getting to toxic levels, but dogs don't!

**What are the warning signs of a problem?**

Any dog who's eaten chocolate should be watched closely for symptoms, particularly smaller dogs, "seniors", and dogs with health problems. Symptoms may range from from vomiting and diarrhea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases.

While white chocolate may not be as likely to cause a methylxanthine poisoning, the high fat content of lighter chocolates could still lead to vomiting and diarrhea, and possibly the development of life-threatening pancreatitis. Too much fatty food will also affect a dogs health in the same way it does ours, by packing on the pounds!

**What can be done once chocolate is ingested?**

Make note of the type of chocolate ingested and how much was eaten, if possible.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog is over stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex.

If your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of the above symptoms, take her to the vet right away. If her symptoms are minor, make her eat activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine binds to it and be passed out of the system. (In a pinch, burnt - as in thoroughly blackened - toast will do.)

If your dogs health is important to you (and I'm betting it is!), then keep him away from the chocolates on Valentine's Day and other holidays as well. And watch out year round for products made from the cocoa bean.

In an emergency, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Hartson S. Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net