The Diversified Benefits Of Cocoa And Chocolate

Chocolate is consumed by people of all ages in all segments of society throughout the world. However, recent changes in legislative frameworks, environmental concerns and increasing attention towards sustainability have stimulated the chocolate industry to reconsider their management policy. Current books in the market cover chocolate manufacture without taking into account sustainable practices of production, consumption and market aspects. Trends in Sustainable Chocolate Production fills this knowledge gap by covering all the important aspects of chocolate industry (manufacture, functionality, sustainability of the supply chain, commercialization aspects and market characteristics) in one reference. Starting with the health outcomes of chocolate and an overview of its manufacture, the book explores techniques to improve the functionality, flavor and microstructure of chocolate, as well as its environmental impact through sustainable practices and supply chains. By connecting research to industry and consumer interests, this text aims to support members of the scientific community, professionals and enterprises working to develop a sustainable chocolate sector.

Cocoa and chocolate are the subjects of much research in the fields of food chemistry, food technology, and health science. We now know that cocoa contains a remarkable number of bioactive compounds, and these are being tested in humans to verify their disease prevention characteristics. This state of the art text thoroughly explores the different aspects of the relationship between chocolate and health. After introductory discussion of the historical background, careful attention is devoted to technological developments designed to improve the health-giving qualities of chocolate and biochemical and clinical trials of cocoa and its components. Various health impacts of cocoa and chocolate are thoroughly evaluated, including acute vascular effects and effects on blood pressure, blood lipids, and platelets. Psychological drivers of chocolate consumption and craving are also considered. Readers will find this book to be a rich source of essential information on cocoa and chocolate, their purported health-giving qualities, and the advances that are being made in this area.

This book, for the first time, describes the topic of chocolate as medicine from a historical perspective but also explores the benefits of cocoa, its positive health effects, and the myths around why chocolate was thought to be bad.

This book entitled “Cocoa, Chocolate, and Human Health” presents the most recent findings about cocoa and health in 14 peer-reviewed chapters including nine original contributions and five reviews from cocoa experts around the world. Bioavailability and metabolism of the main cocoa polyphenols, i.e., the flavanols like epicatechin, are presented including metabolites like valerolactones that are formed by the gut microbiome. Many studies, including intervention studies or epidemiological observations, do not focus on single compounds, but on cocoa as a whole. This proves the effectiveness of cocoa as a functional food. A positive influence of cocoa on hearing problems, exercise performance, and metabolic syndrome is discussed with mixed results; the results about exercise performance are contradictive. Evidence shows that cocoa flavanols may modulate some risk factors related to metabolic syndrome such as hypertension and disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, several cardiometabolic parameters in type 2 diabetics were not affected by a flavanol-rich cocoa powder as simultaneous treatment with pharmaceuticals might have negated the effect of cocoa. The putative health-promoting components of cocoa are altered during processing like fermentation, drying, and roasting of cocoa beans. Chocolate, the most popular cocoa product, shows remarkable losses in polyphenols and vitamin E during 18 months of storage.

Following on from their previous volume on Chocolate as Medicine, Philip K. Wilson and W. Jeffrey Hurst edit this companion volume, Chocolate and Health, providing a comprehensive overview of the chemistry, nutrition and bioavailability of cacao and chocolate. The book begins with a brief historical introduction to the topic, outlining the current and historical medical uses of chocolate and chocolate derivatives. The remainder of the text is arranged into three sections, taking the reader through various aspects of the nutritional and health aspects of cacoa. The first section covers the cultivation, chemistry and genome analysis of cacao. The second section discusses the biochemistry and nutritional components of cacao in relation to health, covering bioavailabilty and the metabolism and metabolomics of cacao. The final section provides an overview of the potential use of chocolate in health and medical care. Each section is written and prepared by experts within each field, providing a global perspective of the current and ongoing research in this area. This text provides the reader with a complete overview of the field and is of interest to food and biomedical scientists, as well as nutritionists, medicinal chemists and anyone with an interest in chocolate.

Dive into a book loaded with the mystical lore of chocolate as well as all of the latest exciting and intriguing research you need to know about why you should eat more chocolate. Includes over 60 recipes for soups, salads, starters, main courses and, of course, desserts! This book deftly covers the highly compelling and extensive scientific and clinical research conducted on the myriad health benefits of cocoa and chocolate. Linda Woolven and Ted Snider's many years of experience as herbalists and natural medicine researchers provide an excellent window on the past decades of advances in science that make cocoa and chocolate health foods.This book covers documentation supporting the many positive cardiovascular benefits and even cognitive reasons why all of us should eat more cocoa and chocolate on a regular basis. - Mark Blumenthal Founder and Executive Director, American Botanical Council

This book entitled “Cocoa, Chocolate, and Human Health” presents the most recent findings about cocoa and health in 14 peer-reviewed chapters including nine original contributions and five reviews from cocoa experts around the world. Bioavailability and metabolism of the main cocoa polyphenols, i.e., the flavanols like epicatechin, are presented including metabolites like valerolactones that are formed by the gut microbiome. Many studies, including intervention studies or epidemiological observations, do not focus on single compounds, but on cocoa as a whole. This proves the effectiveness of cocoa as a functional food. A positive influence of cocoa on hearing problems, exercise performance, and metabolic syndrome is discussed with mixed results; the results about exercise performance are contradictive. Evidence shows that cocoa flavanols may modulate some risk factors related to metabolic syndrome such as hypertension and disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, several cardiometabolic parameters in type 2 diabetics were not affected by a flavanol-rich cocoa powder as simultaneous treatment with pharmaceuticals might have negated the effect of cocoa. The putative health-promoting components of cocoa are altered during processing like fermentation, drying, and roasting of cocoa beans. Chocolate, the most popular cocoa product, shows remarkable losses in polyphenols and vitamin E during 18 months of storage.