Want it, need it, eat it; The toothsome truth is, dark chocolate really is good for you - The Sun - Naperville (IL)

Candles and candy dish with chocolate

There are, it appears, three kinds of people in this world: those who eat to live, those who live to eat, and those who live to eat chocolate.That third group of folks has found even more reason to live lately, now that chocolate has emerged as a new darling among health foods.

Dark chocolate -- which lacks the milk and much of the sugar added to milk chocolate, and must contain at least 35 percent ground cacao beans -- is rich in such minerals as zinc, magnesium and iron, as well as flavonoid antioxidants. Those are the substances identified in the class of nutritional superfoods that includes blueberries, green tea and red wine, which have been credited with providing protection against heart disease, stroke and some cancers. The greater the cacao content, the greater the health benefit. For many fans of the dark side, 70 percent is the ideal level.

It remains a dark horse in the candy stable, though. While its fan base is growing, dark chocolate still accounts for a fraction of the $27 billion Americans spend on candy every year.

Although sales of specific varieties are not closely tracked, those in the industry say we're learning to appreciate dark chocolate's distinct virtues.

'Anecdotally, certainly, I can tell you that the dark chocolate category increased somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 percent' in 2005, said Susan Fussell, senior director of communications for the National Confectioners Association.

And there's more good news: A weakness for chocolate no longer appears to bear the stigma of a human flaw.

'I think chocoholics are out of the closet, more than they used to be,' said Gale Gand, well-known restaurateur, pastry chef, author and television personality. 'There's a name for them, and it's nothing to be ashamed of.'

At Tru, the upscale Chicago restaurant Gand co-owns, there are typically seven items offered on the dessert tray on any given evening. Gand makes sure no fewer than four of them involve chocolate.

'It has to be at least half chocolate. That's how many chocolate lovers there are out there,' she said, pausing to chat about a relevant subject during an appearance at the Chocolate Festival hosted by NCO Youth and Family Services at Neuqua Valley High School last month.

The visceral pull of the sweet brown nectar is both universal and mysterious, even to people for whom it is a tool of trade.

'I think some of it's chemical, I really do,' said Gand, who noted that the attraction doesn't appear to hinge directly on the amount of cacao in the finished product. 'It's unexplainable, the craving people have for chocolate.'

For some, however, it's a matter of practical nutrition. Gand said she knows a very slender woman in Chicago who, for many years now, has made a point of consuming a small portion of dark chocolate daily.

'She said she eats it for her health,' said Gand, whose sixth cookbook, 'Chocolate and Vanilla,' is scheduled for release later this year.

Cathy Bouchard does the same thing. The owner of Le Chocolat Bar in Naperville is a huge believer in the healthful attributes of chocolate. She conducts seminars on the topic, typically winding up her comments by relating how she fought the devastating effects of fibromyalgia for many, many months using conventional medications.

Unable to muster the energy to get out much, Bouchard spent a lot of time reading during her illness. Her preference runs toward nonfiction, and she took an interest in works devoted to one of her favorite foods. Local book stores took to calling her 'the chocolate lady,' she said. As she consumed more and more written works, her interest grew.

'The references were always that it was used medicinally, it was a tonic, an elixir,' Bouchard said. 'Everything I ever read said that cacao is a drug, a natural antidepressant.'

A few weeks after she had been taking a daily dose of dark chocolate, first thing in the morning, she started to see real relief. Before long she ceased her other medications, reasoning it was a bad idea to duplicate her efforts. Eventually she told her doctor what she had done.

'She said, `Well you know, we're starting to read a lot of stuff about dark chocolate. I'm not going to say it's all in your mind. You obviously are doing great,'' Bouchard said.

***

HEALTHY GLOW

Chocolate: It's not just for breakfast anymore.

In addition to its better-known role as appeasement for a consuming passion, chocolate has topical applications. Golden Serenity Aesthetics and Wellness Center in Naperville offers an assortment of chocolate treatments that afford similar benefits to the conventional way of taking chocolate -- without the calories, the center's operators say.

Chocolate-based services include facials, body wraps, scrubs and foot treatments, and prices range from $75 to $110.

Golden Serenity is at 1288 Rickert Drive, Suite 202-207, Naperville. Call (630) 305-3350.

SWEET FACTOIDS

Some choco-tidbits you should know:

[] Chocolate is made from the cacao bean, which is the fruit of the cacao tree. Like many other fruits, it is a rich source of antioxidants, those substances that chase away free radicals and their attendant cancer risk.

[] Cornell University researchers found in 2003 that hot cocoa, made using a nearly pure form of unsweetened chocolate, provides nearly twice as much antioxidant protection from cancer and heart disease as red wine, and more than three times as much as green tea. A team of Dutch scientists reached the same conclusion.

[] The journey from bean to bar includes hand-picking of the cacao bean (which grows in only a small strip of the world near the equator, where the climate allows it); fermenting, grinding and mixing with sugar; and conching, a slow and extended churning of the ground mixture (which has become chocolate 'liquor') with an emulsifier, sweetener, fat and/or flavoring.

[] Chocolate is virtually nonperishable. It contains plentiful supplies of phenolic compounds, which act as natural pesticides that protect plants from insects and pathogens. The compounds remain active in foods after the harvest, and account for chocolate's extraordinary shelf longevity. Stored at around 70 degrees and tightly sealed, bittersweet chocolate will keep for years.

-- Sources: Associated Press, Cornell University, Pastry chef Gale Gand

***

[] Now that we've whet your appetite for chocolate, check out ethel's chocolate lounge on Thursday in Out & About.

Life is a Box of Chocolates.(Well-Being) - Manila Bulletin

If life could be compared to something sweet, then chocolate would be more like it. As Forrest Gump (played by award-winning actor Tom Hanks) said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.' Chocolates are very popular around the world. Every time I am in the airport waiting for my plane, you can find me eating a chocolate. They come in different forms and sizes and the boxes are always beautiful. There's more to chocolate than just for eating. 'If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?' French writer Marquise de Sevigne wondered. 'Any sane person loves chocolate,' declared Bob Greene. In fact, 'nine out of 10 people like chocolate. And the tenth person lies,' said John Q. Tullius. Charles M. Schulz, creator of Peanuts, believed that what people really need is love. 'But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt,' he added. Oftentimes, chocolates have been equated with love and romance. John Milton wrote, 'Love is just like eating large amounts of chocolate.' Miranda Ingram argued, 'It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man.' Chemically speaking, 'chocolate really is the world's perfect food,' to quote the words of Michael Levine, the author of The Emperors of Chocolate. As Geronimo Piperni puts it: 'Chocolate is a divine, celestial drink, the sweat of the stars, the vital seed, divine nectar, the drink of the gods, panacea and universal medicine.' Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said chocolates are 'helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work.' Baron Justus von Liebig considered this beneficent restorer of exhausted power as 'the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits.' Some years back, I was touring a group of American kids at the farm in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. While walking, an eight-year-old boy inquired, 'What is that?' as he pointed to the cacao tree. 'That's where chocolates come from,' I replied. Almost immediately, everyone stopped. 'How do you get chocolates from that tree?' they chorused.Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico. Although Christopher Columbus came to know the beans, it was Hernando Cortes who brought it to Spain. 'The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food,' he wrote.In the Philippines, it has been cultivated since the 17th century when Spanish mariner Pedro Bravo de Lagunas planted the crop in San Jose, Batangas. Since then, cacao-growing flourished in the different parts of the country.The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk.If you care to know, the word 'chocolate' comes from the Mexico's Aztecs and is derived from the Nahuatl word xocolatl, which is a combination of the words, xocolli, meaning 'bitter,' and atl, which is 'water.'While chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate reportedly benefits the circulatory system. Other beneficial effects suggested include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventor, and antidiarrheal effects. As an aphrodisiac, its effect is yet unproven.Recent studies have suggested that cocoa or dark chocolate may possess certain beneficial effects on human health. Cocoa possesses a significant antioxidant action. Some studies have also observed a modest reduction in blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation after consuming dark chocolate daily.There has even been a fad diet, named 'Chocolate diet,' that emphasizes eating chocolate and cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking fat-containing milk with dark chocolate, appears largely to negate the health benefit. A study reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended. People having headache are advised not to eat chocolates. The reason: chocolates contain tyramine, a chief suspect in causing headaches. However, many young people outgrow this chemical reaction. 'The body appears to build up a tolerance,' says Dr. Seymour Diamond, who has co-written several books on headaches. If you have heartburn, you should avoid eating chocolates, too. The sweet confection deals heartburn sufferers a double whammy. It is nearly all fat and it contains caffeine (which may irritate an already inflamed esophagus). 'Other things are just food. But chocolate's chocolate,' said Patrick Skene Catling. That's why Brillat-Savarin advises, 'If any man has drunk a little too deeply from the cup of physical pleasure; if he has spent too much time at his desk that should have been spent asleep; if his fine spirits have become temporarily dulled; if he finds the air too damp, the minutes too slow, and the atmosphere too heavy to withstand; if he is obsessed by a fixed idea which bars him from any freedom of thought: if he is any of these poor creatures, we say, let him be given a good pint of chocolate - and marvels will be performed.'

Love that chocolate 'flava' - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

I only wish for chocolate on Valentine's Day.

Oh, who am I fooling? I only crave chocolate on that day, plusSweetest Day, birthdays, major holidays.

All right, all right. I only yearn for, desire, salivate after andobsess about chocolate on all of THOSE days, plus weekends and a fewminor holidays. And, um, the second Tuesday of every other month, and...

OK. Fine. Here's, finally, the truth: I only think about and wishto consume chocolate on days ending in 'y.'

Other than that, my thoughts are chocolate-free.

However, considering Valentine's Day is all about chocolate -- oh,I know, officially it's about romantic mushygushy stuff, but really,it's about chocolate -- I thought it was time to do a bit of researchinto chocolate. To, perhaps, discover WHY I love it so.

The first thing I learn is that apparently I've been eating theWRONG chocolate all this time. Maybe it's because I apply remarkableself-discipline and relegate my chocolate-eating to only those daysending in 'y,' and thus have not had sufficient time to explorevarieties of chocolate.

You see, I've just been grabbing chocolate bars of a certain brand-name ending in 'y' off store shelves all these years and enjoyingthem mightily, but my research assures me that this brand -- in fact,other common brands -- are just too waxy. (There's that ending in 'y'thing again. Seems to crop up often in chocolate-y discussions.)

Plus, they don't have enough cacao in them -- as in cacao beans --which is not the same thing as cocoa, which is derived frompulverizing roasted cacao beans into a powder. But REAL chocolatedoesn't involve cocoa, but instead parts of the (roasted?) cacao beanitself and conching and tem bean itself, and conching and temperingthe proper procedure for which there is apparently a great deal ofdebate.

You see?

I'm a chocolate nincompoop.

Still, I took heart from my research when I started reading aboutall the great HEALTH benefits of chocolate!

Aha! I thought. Even ill-tempered chocolate (of the sort I've beenconsuming all this time) should provide some of these benefits,right? Such as promoting healthy blood pressure, curing depression,reducing PMS, increasing calmness and happiness, curing the commoncold, explaining the mysteries of gas-pricing.

(OK, I made that last one up.)

But it turns out that all those great benefits come from'flavanols' (I'm not sure what these are. The chemical that giveschocolate its flava?) in cacao beans ... and guess what?

'Flavanols' can be destroyed in processing, so not all chocolateproducts keep much of the flavanols.

So, until the Surgeon General starts labeling chocolate bars:'Congratulations! You have just purchased a flavanol-rich chocolatebar that will make you younger, wealthier, healthier and happier!Have a nice day!' there will be no real way to know which chocolatebars are actually good for you and which are just tasty. Or waxy.Depending on your cacao-sensing ability.

I guess I've only learned one thing, after all, in my chocolateresearch.

The only real 'why' for eating my favorite chocolate-barsending-in-'y' is because I enjoy them.

Portion control: managing our chocolate obsession.(TREND WATCH) - Professional Candy Buyer

NEVER BEFORE have we been so passionately obsessed with chocolate. Most of us admit to at least occasional cravings, and many of us simply must have 'something sweet' at the end of each meal.

Chocolate is one of the only foods I know of that both stimulates and soothes--we enjoy it as a pick-me-up and a calm-me-down, an exciting treat and a relaxing reward.

Today, we no longer need a reason, a season or a special occasion to celebrate with chocolate--fine chocolate provides us with a reason to rejoice. We seek the pleasure of it slowly melting in our mouth as much as we continue to seek ways to assuage our concerns about the national state of affairs, the economy, and all our daily stresses. Collectively, we seem to have a timeout/reward mentality of 'I deserve this indulgence.'

So how do we manage to view our daily chocolate fix as a healthy habit?

First, there's the spate of good news about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Then, there's the fact that increasingly, both mass premium and fine chocolate are coming in smaller and smaller portion sizes.

A Lesson From Cookie/Snack Categories

Not surprisingly, as an on-the-go nation, convenience is often a major factor in our food choices. Both cookie and salty snack segments are mastering the transformation of 'unhealthy' into acceptable. By offering super sweet cookies and fried salty snacks in smaller pieces, smaller bags and smaller portions, savvy marketers are repositioning 'off-limit' snacks into quick and easy, portable treats that can be perceived as sensible. One snack manufacturer has even trademarked 'the right snack for sensible munching,' touting its 100 calorie mini bites as 'right-sized' just for you.

Within the chocolate segment, while the healthy appeal is bringing in consumers, in both mass and specialty, giant bar sales are declining as miniatures and bite-size squares proliferate.

We're indulging in less chocolate more often, which translates into smaller more frequent portions. We justify our treats as they're cleverly concealed in less-than-100-calorie packs, or individually wrapped small bars and squares that help us indulge in a small bite to appease our insatiable sweet tooth.

We've watched the solid chocolate bar segment explode, particularly in dark chocolate, where there are more varieties than ever before. My prediction is that the next major area for growth will be single-serve chocolate bars and squares. Thin and individually wrapped, more like wafers than bars, these small chocolate indulgences are the ultimate portion-controlled treat-for-me.

Several companies have already launched products that feed our desire for 'just a taste' of fine chocolate. Often premium with high cacao percentages, they are designed to melt slowly and evenly--ideal for savoring the flavor versus mindless gobbling.

Downsized bars hover under 28 grams, or one-ounce--an ideal size to feed our fantasy that a little chocolate translates into a lot of pleasure while helping our health as well. This is especially true when it's a high percentage dark chocolate, or even the newly emerging sector of 'dark milk' chocolates, particularly those with 38 percent plus cacao content.

Ghirardelli, Valrhona, Michel Cluizel, Domori, Scharffen Berger and Dagoba offer a variety of individually wrapped squares for tasting. At the New York Fancy Food Show, I tasted several 100 percent cocoa mass single origin squares from Domori, which highlighted the distinctive characteristics of the cacao.

We're already seeing 'flights' of single origin chocolates--squares packaged together for chocolate enthusiasts to compare and contrast the various flavor profiles and 'terroir' of range of chocolates from different farms, regions and countries.

Along this track, some premium chocolate companies are already marketing tasting kits with a range of small bars or squares. Many include descriptive brochures and tasting guides to further enhance the experience.

Tasting Kits Are On The Way

For example, E. Guittard recently launched a Single Origin Chocolate Tasting Kit featuring 16 10-gram (0.35-ounce) single origin bars--four each of Sur del Lago, Quevado, Chucuri and Ambanja--all 65 percent cacao content. An educational booklet is included with tasting recommendations.

One of the first proponents of chocolate tasting kits, Michel Cluizel offers a slight variation with its 'Once Upon A Bean Tasting Kit,' a lesson in the making of chocolate from bean to bar. The kit features samples of whole unroasted cacao beans, roasted cacao nibs, cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, in addition to unique, paper thin white, milk and dark chocolate tasting discs.

Dagoba promotes the idea that a small chocolate square can satisfy a discriminating palate, and offers 20 68 percent cacao single origin squares (Costa Rican, Ecuadorian and Peruvian) in its Single Origin Tasting Kits with a tasting guide.

For retailers, both small bars and squares offer an outstanding changemaker opportunity. For year-round gifting, expect to see innovative packaging for these kits from the simple to the sublime--from more environmentally conscious packaging to keepsake carved wooden boxes with drawers.

As nutritionists urge us to limit our portions, there's profit potential in smaller packs and pieces of candy and chocolate. While we're learning to appreciate our chocolate, the future is bright for controlled indulgence. Finally, we can have our chocolate, and taste it too.

EDITOR'S NOTE

COCOA THE LITTLE BEAN THAT WOOED THE WORLD.(DAYBREAK) - The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)

Byline: Compiled by Sandy Kallio Wisconsin State Journal

The food of the gods now is the little luxury of the common man, woman and child around the world. More than a million tons of cocoa beans are harvested each year to satisfy their demands. The Swiss demand the most per capita: 22 pounds of chocolate each year, compared to 11 pounds per person in the United States.

Chocolate's popularity has more to do with flavor than health benefits, but those who imbibe are encouraged by research indicating that chocolate might help prevent heart attacks and strokes -- if consumed in moderation.

There is a down side to the growing demand for chocolate, however. Human rights violations on cocoa plantations have been reported, and thousands of acres of rainforest have been destroyed to make way for cocoa plantations.

Rather than focus only on the sweet, Olbrich Botanical Gardens is telling the whole story through an exhibit opening Friday. 'Chocolate: The Bitter and the Sweet' is a self-guided exhibit covering related history, myths, marvels and perils. Here's a taste of the exhibit, with added flavoring from several other sources.

Origin

While chocolate originated in the Amazon River basin, today cacao (pronounced kah kow) trees are grown in tropical areas throughout the world. The center of cocoa production is in West Africa.

The name

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. A spelling error led to the seeds becoming known as cocoa beans. The plant's botanical name is Theobroma, which means 'food of the gods.'

Blossoms to baking bars

* Tiny blossoms grow on the trunk and low branches of the cacao tree, an evergreen that grows in an area 10 to 20 degrees north and south of the equator. While North American fruit trees flower, then produce fruit, cacao flowers and fruit can grow at the same time all year long.

* The cacao pods are oval-shaped, about 8 to 14 inches long and change color as they ripen.

* Harvesting the pods is labor-intensive, with workers trying not to damage flowers or immature pods as they cut ripe pods from the trees with large knives.

* Pods are split by hand and the beans removed -- 20 to 60 seeds per pod, with at least 20 pods needed to make 2 pounds of cocoa.

* Beans are fermented to reduce bitterness and develop the aroma. They then are dried and cleaned before shipping for processing.

* The raw beans are roasted. The higher the temperature, the more bitter the chocolate.

* Roasted beans are ground to produce cocoa powder and cocoa liquor (non-alcoholic), and the beans are pressed to extract cocoa butter.

* The ground cocoa is blended back with the cocoa butter and liquor to make different types of chocolate. (The flavor of the chocolate varies with the blend of beans, just like for coffee.) The finest plain chocolate contains at least 70 percent cocoa. Some mass-produced chocolate contains as little as 7 percent cocoa and can't even be classified as chocolate.

* Refined chocolate is kept liquid by friction through a process called conching, which helps develop a smooth, creamy texture.

* The chocolate is tempered to distribute the cocoa butter evenly. This process involves cooling, heating and cooling the chocolate again.

* Pure chocolate liquor, which has 53 percent to 55 percent cocoa butter, is molded into blocks and sold as unsweetened or baking chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate has extra cocoa butter and sugar added; milk chocolate has both, as well as milk and vanilla. Cocoa powder is chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed. White chocolate is mostly cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla; imitations are made with vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter.

Fair trade and sustainable farming

The international system of fair trade promotes environmental protection and social and economic justice for cocoa farms and their laborers.

Cacao trees grown in the wild under the shade of taller trees of the rainforest canopy can produce fruit for more than 100 years. But thousands of acres of rainforest have been cleared to grow cacao trees. Without the natural rainforest compost, the soil becomesnutrient-poor. Sustainable farming -- in this case, planting cacao on forest edges or in light gaps created naturally by tree falls -- can prevent rainforest destruction and provide incomes for local residents.

In 2001, the average world market price for cocoa was 49 cents per pound. Fair Trade cocoa was sold for 80 cents per pound so that farmers could receive the income needed to support their families. In the Fair Trade system, child labor and forced labor are prohibited, cooperatives or other associations are democratically controlled by members, plantation workers are allowed to participate in union activities, importers agree to provide pre-harvest financing, and producers agree to implement integrated crop management and other environmental protection plans.

Among the countries with Fair Trade cooperatives are Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana and Nicaragua. Chocolate using Fair Trade cocoa features a Fair Trade Certified symbol on the label.

Sources: Olbrich Botanical Gardens, www.transfairusa.org, www.chocolate.org., www.hersheys.com, www.godiva.com.

If you go

* What: 'Chocolate: The Bitter and The Sweet,' a self-guided exhibit.

* When: Friday through March 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: Bolz Conservatory at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave.

* Cost: $1, free for children 5 and younger and for Olbrich Botanical Society members. Also free from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

* Information: www.olbrich.org and 246-4550.

Other chocolatey events

* 'Intensely Chocolate Talk & Tasting' begins at 1 p.m. Jan. 31 with chocolate tales by James Nienhuis of the UW-Madison department of horticulture, who has worked with M&M Mars in Brazil. A gourmet chocolate tasting will follow until 3 p.m. The cost is $7 for the general public, $5 for Olbrich members.

* 'Chocolate: A Rainforest Food Exploration' is for children ages 6 to 11, accompanied by an adult, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7. Children will learn about the history of chocolate and other tropical foods during a walk through Bolz Conservatory, then decorate Valentine's Day cards with tropical plant materials. The cost is $6 per child ($1 off for members), with no charge for adults.

* 'Valentines in Paradise' is a celebration featuring dancing and desserts from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Feb. 14. Sweethearts can walk through a candlelit Bolz Conservatory, visit a dessert buffet featuring fine chocolates and dance in Evjue Commons. Tickets for this benefit for Olbrich are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets will be available at Olbrich after Monday.

Registration is required for each event. For information or to register, call 246-4550 or visit www.olbrich.org.

CAPTION(S):

Phil Grout - SERRV

International Cacao pods

Cindy Cary

Cacao blooms

State Journal archives

Valentine's 2010: Naked Chocolate--The Ultimate Aphrodisiac.(Nutrition)(Book review) - Basilandspice.com

Book Reviewed By Susan Schenck

David Wolfe has astonishing news for chocolate lovers: Raw chocolate is actually one of the most nutritious foods on the planet! In his book with British raw food advocate Shazzie, Naked Chocolate, The Astonishing Truth about The World's Greatest Food, he documents the health benefits of chocolate, which include protection from heart disease, mood elevation, brain-boosting properties, appetite suppression and much more. Heating, processing and adding milk and sugar to raw cacao beans cause many of these benefits to be lost, but preparing the raw chocolate with stevia or raw yacon root sweetener and other raw ingredients (such as coconut butter) masks the bitter flavor while retaining the super food benefits.

The book is in magazine-thick glossy paper, with many colorful photos. It includes a thorough history of chocolate, the benefits of chocolate, and recipes. There is even a chapter called 'Saving the Planet with Chocolate.' OK, not only do we no longer need to feel guilty for eating chocolate--we can also congratulate ourselves for saving the planet!

Wolfe and Shazzie cite evidence that raw chocolate (cacao nibs) is one of the earth's greatest nutritional offerings. It is high in magnesium, making it a powerful brain food and a natural laxative. Ten percent of its contents are antioxidants, making it a leading longevity food. Research has shown that it benefits the cardiovascular system, increases the ability of blood vessels to dilate, decreases hardening of the arteries, prevents platelet aggregation, and thins the blood. A Harvard University study of 8,000 males found that chocolate lovers lived longer.

Chocolate has earned a reputation as 'Nature's Prozac.' It keeps up levels of phenylethylamine (PEA), which increases the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). This increases the activity of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that keep us feeling alert, alive, joyful and happy. Chocolate contains anandamide, a lesser-known neurotransmitter that creates bliss and a 'high' feeling. High doses can mimic a cannabis high. It is believed to contain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), which keep our neurotransmitters plentiful like those of children so that we can be as joyful, curious and excited about life as children are.

Chocolate is also known to be an aphrodisiac, hence its popularity as a Valentine's Day gift, and an appetite suppressant, which is why it is found in many weight-loss products.

According to David and Shazzie, 'Cacao imparts an ennobling energetic creativity upon the consumer, allowing information to be downloaded from a higher dimensional space that surrounds us all the time. This creativity comes in a frequency that particularly suits the alchemist, astrologer, writer and orator. This property is esoteric and may never be precisely pinned down.'

Cacao is not without controversy in the raw food community, however. There are those who believe it is a stimulant causing 'fight or flight' syndrome and the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol.

My own experience with cacao would indicate that even if this is the case, the effects of about a tablespoon of raw cacao nibs is about ten percent, or less, the 'fight or flight' of a 16-ounce coffee from Starbucks. The only sign of addictive properties I have noticed is that I do not feel as noticeably fantastic if I take it every day as I would taking it only two or three times a week. So I would term it a rather innocuous addiction and a powerful transition food to a raw diet. Some may even choose to make it a staple in a long-term diet.

David Wolfe is considered to be one of the world's leading authority on raw-food nutrition. He is the author of the best-selling book The Sunfood Diet Success System. He conducts 70 to 80 health lectures and seminars each year in the United States, Canada, Europe and the South Pacific, and hosts at least five health, healing, and beauty retreats each year at various retreat centers around the world. You'll find the author online at www.davidwolfe.com

Susan Schenck is author of The Live Food Factor

5* Product Review: NuNaturals--NuStevia (Feb 2010)

Copyright (c) 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

THE DARK SIDE; Sales of heart-healthful chocolate soar 40% from $1.62B last year.(financial report)(Financial report) - Advertising Age

Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON

Dark chocolate has been last-picked from the candy dish-until now.

Reports that it can actually be heart-healthful have sent milk chocolate's once-poor second cousin on a tear, with sales up 40% this year. Dark chocolate hit $1.62 billion last year in the U.S., leaping 29% between 2003 and 2005, according to Mintel International.

Some 25% of households have dark chocolate on hand, up from only 8% in the last two years, Hershey Co. said. And one in three chocolate launches so far this year has been of the dark variety.

'This is a real consumer behavior change,'' said Chris Baldwin, senior VP-president of Hershey's U.S. commercial group, whose sales of Special Dark chocolate have climbed 37% this year. 'There are underlying benefits with the consumption of cocoa that give consumers the permission to enjoy chocolate.''

Dark-chocolate candy introductions this year hit 278 compared to last year's 12-month total of 217, according to Datamonitor's Productscan Online. Dark chocolate has gone from 15.5% of total chocolate launches to 33.4% in 2006, a figure Tom Vierhile, director of the database, finds 'astonishing for such a niche-type flavor.''

It's either 'great news for the category because [marketers] have a health angle they can sell against or it's a bubble,'' he said.

Either way, Hershey, Mars and others are rushing in with dozens of entries to offer consumers no longer afraid of the dark.

Mars lays claim to nearly 80% of the research fueling the fervor over the cardiovascular benefits of antioxidant-rich cocoa flavanols. It is marketing Dove Dark, a nutrition-aisle product dubbed CocoaVia, M&M's Dark and limited-time Snickers Dark (along with an almond version).

Hershey offers Special Dark and Extra Dark, a mass-premium Cacao Reserve by Hershey's line to be introduced next month, and newly acquired superpremium brands from Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt.

all about pedigree

'There is an enormous opportunity for consumers to trade up in the world of chocolate,'' Mr. Baldwin said.

Special Dark has received new packaging that proclaims it a 'natural source of flavanol antioxidants,'' as well as increased distribution and advertising. Although Hershey spent only $5 million in TV on Special Dark in the first three months of this year, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, sales shot up 37.4% to $36 million for the 52 weeks ended July 16 in food, drug and mass merchandisers. That's still a shadow of the more than $300 million generated for the Hershey bar, but it's growing.

The new Cacao Reserve by Hershey will be priced at 99o to $1.19 a bar (vs. 79o for Special Dark). Hershey plans to play off the success of premium coffee brands by touting the pedigree of the cacao beans in its products with ads from Havas' Arnold, New York, that tempt consumers to 'Explore the world of chocolate.''

Smaller chocolatiers, such as Seattle-based Dagoba, have for years touted their 'single-source'' chocolates, featuring cacao beans from Peru, Costa Rica and Ecuador, according to Marcia Mogelonsky, senior analyst at Mintel International. 'People will pay $3 or more for good-quality coffee,'' she said. 'Consumers today will not shy away from spending a lot of money on single-origin chocolate.'' She said some people might not perceive Hershey's chocolate as premium, adding that more 'underground'' marketing would help.

Hershey's launches of Cacao Reserve bars and premium drinking cocoa in September will be followed in December by Cacao Truffle Tins and Country of Origin bars, all of which will feature labels with the history of the cacao bean, where the product came from and its flavor profile. It will 'look and read much like a wine bottle,'' Mr. Baldwin said, and Cacao Reserve will indeed be merchandised in-store on wine racks. The launch will be heralded with 'high-influencer event marketing,'' such as an Aug. 31 bash at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for food-and-wine-magazine editors.