From the Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs to Milton Hershey and Willy Wonka, everyone knows that chocolates are good and delicious. Many of us enjoy chocolate in different forms and, of course, in moderation. Some people need to be careful when consuming chocolate.
Health benefits of chocolate
The health benefits of chocolate are currently being researched, including
- Cocoa contains high amounts of polyphenolic antioxidants. Which are known to reduce blood pressure and promote blood flow in the body.
- Anti-cancer agents
- Cough relief
- Prevention of diarrhea
- Improves brain function
- Who wouldn’t enjoy receiving chocolates from loved ones on Valentine’s Day! They are like aphrodisiacs.
Knowing all these benefits does not mean that you have to eat a lot of them. Moderation is important for your health and eating too much chocolate without burning. It can lead to obesity and possibly cardiovascular disease.
Kinds of chocolate
There are different kinds of chocolate, with varying proportions of chocolate, sugar, and milk.
- Chocolate liquor is pure liquor chopped from roasted chocolate beans and can be used for baking and cooking. When mixed with sugar, chocolate liquor forms the base for cakes, cookies, and other confections.
- Dark chocolate is made by adding fat and sugar until the cocoa solids content reaches at least 35%. Some variations resemble coffee.
- Making of milk chocolate by mixing milk with at least 10% chocolate liquor, invented by Nestlé and perfected by Hershey. It is probably the most popular chocolate variant.
- Dark chocolate is dark chocolate mixed with about half the sugar. It is most often found in chocolate chips.
- Making dark chocolate from chocolate liquor mixed with about a third of the sugar. Along with cocoa butter and vanilla.
- Making of white chocolate from solid cocoa and separate cocoa butter with added sugar. Some people do not consider white chocolate to be real chocolate.
Always check the label
If you have food allergies, always check the label. To make sure the product does not contain gluten, dairy, nuts, or other allergens. Chocolates can be. Made the same way on the same day, but there can be cross-contamination. If you switch to milk chocolate or make candy with nuts. Premium dark chocolate is usually gluten-free and milk-free but beware of nuts. More normal manufacturers may use milk or other flour-based products to prevent the chocolate from sticking.
Ask the chocolatier about possible cross-contamination from flour on the baker’s table. Mixing milk, adding nuts to candy or eggs to cake. I just visited the Hershey Shop online and searched for “gluten-free” but got no results. This is probably because they make a wide variety of products and can’t label them as gluten-free.
Further, always read labels and ask questions before eating a candy bar. Or cake or drinking hot chocolate with little marshmallows. And now, have fun. By the way, my favorite chocolate is dark chocolate.
About Author
Sara is a qualified food expert at Main food line, Canada. She had graduated from the University of Cambridge. Sara loves to write about healthy nutrients which help to prevent the human body from various diseases. So, people enjoy a healthy lifestyle. In addition, she is well experienced in milk chocolate and has an impressive portfolio of serving international clients.
