Too often demonised, chocolate is actually an ally of longevity and health. The cacao tree (from whose seeds chocolate is derived), was already cultivated by the Maya in 1000 BC, but chocolate first appeared with the Aztecs, who used it mainly as a drink during religious ceremonies.
The cocoa-based drink was called ‘xocoatl’ and was often flavoured with vanilla, pepper or chilli and could also involve the use of maize flour and honey.
It was not until the 16th century that cocoa arrived in Europe and reached Italy in the following century. In the 19th century, however, the first chocolate bar was born in England, which was also produced in Italy around 1826.
The various types of chocolate we find today are:
- Dark chocolate: depending on the percentage of cocoa, it can have a more or less dark colour and a more or less bitter taste. The percentage of cocoa can vary from 70% to 100%, in which sugar is totally lacking.
- Milk chocolate: in addition to cocoa and sugar, there is also concentrated or powdered milk, the colour is lighter and the taste is sweeter.
- White chocolate: consists of cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugar and milk only. It lacks cocoa powder, which is why it has a pale colour.
- Gianduja chocolate: in addition to the characteristic chocolate ingredients, it has a variable percentage of hazelnut paste.
Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content is an excellent source of nutrition, especially with regard to fibre and minerals.
Specifically, a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:
- 11 grams of fibre
- 67% of the daily requirement of iron
- 58% of the daily requirement of magnesium
- 89% of the daily requirement of copper
- 98% of the daily requirement of manganese
Moreover, dark chocolate is rich in potassium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and oleic acid, a heart-healthy fat also found in olive oil. However, there is also the flip side of the coin. Eating this amount results in the intake of 600 calories.
Also present in dark chocolate are stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on cholesterol, and palmitic acid, which can increase cholesterol levels, albeit minimally, as it constitutes only one third of the total calories of dark chocolate fat.
Finally, dark chocolate contains stimulants such as ca[eine and theobromine, but in smaller quantities than coffee and therefore not able to affect sleep quality.
(Article by Dr. Giusto Cristina)
