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Historical facts.
- In 1875, after over 8 years of experimentation, Daniel Peter of Switzerland, created milk chocolate. He sold his creation to his neighbor, Henri Nestle, and thus Nestle Chocolate came into being.
- In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt, the founder of Lindt Chocolates, invented the process of “Conching” which is used to refine chocolate thus enhancing it’s quality.
- During the Second World War, the U.S. Government commissioned Milton Hershey to create a candy bar to be included in soldier’s rations. The candy bar chosen was the famous Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar.
This was such a successful collaboration, Hershey Chocolate was called upon during the Persian Gulf War to create a chocolate bar that could withstand high temperatures.
The “Desert Bars” were included in the soldier’s daily rations and were also sold to consumers for use in survival kits.
Everyday chocolate facts.
- Cacao is a tree, native to South America, whose seeds are the source of cocoa and chocolate.
- The U.S. produces more chocolate than any other country but the Swiss consume the most, followed closely by the English.
- The average American eats 10-12 pounds (4.5 kg) of chocolate a year. The average Swiss eats 21 pounds (9.9 kg) a year. Despite the fact that the average swiss eats 21 pounds (9.9 kg) of chocolate, they have the lower incidences of obesity and coronary heart disease in Wester Europe. Whereas the United States consumes half less, they have the highest lean body mass index in the Western world.
(Pretty intense, wouldn't you say so? Read on for more interesting chocolate facts!)
- Several medical studies show that eating chocolate in moderation can actually prolong your life by reducing risk of blood clots and fighting bad cholesterol.
- The Midwest and the Northeast U.S. States consume more candy per region than the South, Southwest, West or Mid-Atlantic states of the U.S.
- Chocolate is the food most commonly craved by women.
Ready for more chocolate facts?
- Americans prefer milk chocolate, but dark chocolate's popularity is growing rapidly.
- U.S. chocolate manufacturers use 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.
- Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40% of the world's almonds and 20% of the world's peanuts. (whoa... pretty interesting chocolate facts there, no?)
- As of 2006, consumers spent more than 7 million dollars a year on chocolate related products.
- Chocolate is not physically addictive and does not cause acne, as shown in several medical studies.
- Chocolate is not high in caffeine. A 1oz bar of milk chocolate contains only 5-6mg of caffeine. This is significantly less than in coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
- In general, the shelf life for chocolate is a year.
- The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed over 5,000 pounds and was made in Italy in 2000. The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada.
- Chocolate is America's favorite flavor, according to recent surveys with a little over 50% of adults preferring chocolate to other flavors.
- According to Pat Kendall, PhD, a Food Science and Nutrition Specialist at the Colorado State University. Chocolate is the most commonly craved food in North America. 40% of American women and 15% of American men are "chocoholics".
More chocolate facts!!
- Cocoa trees may yield between 20 to 30 pods a year, each of them containing between 30 to 40 seeds, or beans.
- The pods of the cacao tree take about 6 months to develop, hence, cocoa can be harvested about twice a year.
- Chocolate was regarded as an aphrodisiac by Aztec Indians.
- It is widely believed that chocolate consumption releases a chemical into your body very similar to what is produced when you are in love!
- Chocolate contains antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.
- In 1842 Cadbury's, in England, created the worlds first chocolate bar.
- Before the 1970s, there was hardly a single dessert recipe that contained white chocolate.
- In the United States, white chocolate cannot be labeled so as it is illegal. According to the Food Drug Administration (FDA) it must be labeled "white coating" or "white confectionery". The reason why it is illegal for white chocolate to be branded so is because this kind of chocolate only contains cocoa butter and no chocolate solids (and the law states that every product that is labeled as chocolate must have both).
These were interesting chocolate facts... How about checking out some tea facts now?
Quite a bit of chocolate facts, wouldn't you say so? I'll keep them updated as new researches are done on chocolate.
As for now, that's all for chocolate facts. Onto myths!
Despite all these chocolate facts, there is a lot that is said about the negativity that chocolate can have on a person. Here are some clarifications on what is scientifically proven and what isn't.
Chocolate causes hyperactivity in kids (because it contains too much sugar):
This is commonly heard, but isn't really true. According to many studies, sugar does NOT cause hyperactivity in children. Amongst others, studies at the Vanderbuilt University, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine [Feb. 1994], found absolutely no evidence that sugar and hyperactivity were linked at all.
Protecting against heart disease and cancer.
Cocoa beans contain a type of antioxidant which may have a role in the prevention of certain diseases. The catechins that is found in cocoa beans help to protect the body against degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Catechin can also be found in fruits and vegetables. However, the body needs to capture as many different types of catechins as possible, such as those that are found in tea and chocolate. (A good reason to drink tea and eat chocolate--in moderation of course!)
Chocolate causes migraines/headaches.
Chocolate is often said to trigger migraines or headaches. However, numerous international trials have found that there
are in fact, other factors that can cause migraines or headaches. Such factors may be stress, tiredness, excitement, anger, and hormones. Fasting and eating other foods might also play a role in this. Not drinking enough water may also result in migraines or headaches.
Much more research is needed before chocolate can be claimed as not guilty of those infernal migraines and headaches.
Acne and pimples.
A recent Melbourne study has shown that about 70% of people think that certain foods can cause or increase acne. Chocolate is generally thought as being one of the main culprits. However, there is no scientific evidence up to this date that proves that chocolate does trigger or makes acne worse.
Obesity
Overeating, in general, along with long periods of inactivity are the main reasons that may result in obesity. If a person regularly eats more food than their body needs, they will store that excess energy as body fat. Chocolate is energy dense.
Regularly eating too much energy-dense foods can be a quick way to gain extra pounds. But it is wrong to say that regularly eating chocolate will lead to obesity if you eat high quality chocolate in moderation.
A person who has a healthy diet and lifestyle can safely eat good quality chocolate in moderation without fearing the possible weight gain.
Chocolate is not a ‘health food’.
While there may be some healthy things in chocolate, it does have other components that are not good for you when you have too much of them in your diet - like fat and sugar. Chocolate should not be talked about as some kind of ‘health food’. At the same time, the evidence so far can help take away the guilt of eating chocolate in moderation.
That's all for chocolate facts and myth. I will keep this page updated as new researches are done and new chocolate facts are discovered.
Disclaimer: Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice profided by your own physician or dietitian. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
