Read the article, Chocolate JCE Article. Map the process of forming a chocolate bar starting from the cocoa tree. Describe the process of forming chocolate: Cocoa Tree àCocoa Bean à fermentation à etc.
The Theobroma Cacao tree is originally native to Central and South America. The tree is not cultivated in other environments around the world near the equator. The tree produces small flowers that produce pods. The pods ripen in 5 to 6 months and are harvested by hand. The mature pod contains about 30 to 40 almond shaped beans that are surrounded by a sweet pulp. The beans are scooped out of the pod and separated from the pulp. The beans are then laid out for fermentation, which lasts about 5 to 7 days. They then need to be dried for one to two weeks to remove moisture and produce a hard bean. The beans are then roasted for 70 to 120 minutes. This helps to develop the chocolate flavor and aroma. The shell is removed from the “nib,” which is the inside of the bean. The nib is ground in a process that generates a lot of heat, which melts the cocoa butter and forms a liquid called “chocolate liquor.” When the liquor is pressed the cocoa butter is separated and drains out so what is left is a packed cocoa powder.
a) How does one establish the relevance of these findings to the general population?
It can be explained to people that an important flavanol in chocolate, helps to relax the blood vessels in our body. This is an important discover because relaxing the blood vessels means reduces the wear and tear of our blood vessels.
b) Epicatechin and other flavanols are also found in grape juice, tea and red wine. Would you expect to find a similar positive cardiovascular effect when consuming these foods/beverages?
Yes, It is the Epicatechin that is affecting our blood vessels so as long as these products contain this floavonols it should produce the same effect as the chocolate.
c) Much of the cocoa found in the US or in chocolates contains processed cocoa. Standard commercially processed cocoa has little or no flavanol. Would you expect to have a cardiovascular benefit from consuming chocolates found in the supermarket?
No because it does not have the flavanol in it that would give it this quality. The flavanol is the molecule that is creating this effect in the chocolate.
d) Much of the health benefit studies have been done with cocoapro cocoa. Cocoapro® is a patented process that helps retain more of the naturally occurring flavanols in cocoa. Products that are made with the Cocoapro process include Dove® Dark Chocolate and CocoaVia®. Can you think of what Mars Inc., which owns the patent for Cocoapro must be doing to the cocoa beans to allow for high flavanols?
They are modifying the compound of the chocolate so that it does not lose the Flavanol. This enables the chocolate to hold on it’s the flavanols so that is can still have the cardiovascular effect on the blood vessels.
e) If one assumes that eating Dove Dark Chocolates are good for you since it contains high flavanol levels and that the plant manager for Mars eats about half-a-dozen dark chocolates a day, and that each Dove dark chocolate contains 190 calories, do you see an upside or a downside from eating Dove Dark Chocolates?
Downside, even though it contains that flavanol, it still needs to be eaten in moderation like everything else. If he ate 6 candies that would be 1140 calories just in eating chocolate, which is over half the recommended daily value of calories. It would not be good to eat that many candies just because it contains flaanol.
f) Read the article, Improved Skin Condition and Cocoa (available on Moodle). You may skip the Materials and Methods section and the Results section. Pay special attention to the Abstract, Introduction, and the Discussion. To achieve the skin quality described in the paper, how much cocoa should be consumed and how frequently?
They should consume about 100 g of dark chocolate everyday. A regular consumption of a beverage/food rich in flavanols can help maintain skin health.
g) Read the article, Chocolate and Health, (see Moodle). What are some of the misconceptions about Chocolate and Health?
The heart-healthy components of cocoa are antioxidants that quash naturally destructive molecular fragments in the body.
A person can get cocoa’s heart protecting constituents simply by downing nearly any off the shelf dark chocolate.
Fact: There are some cardiovascular benefits to a class of flavonoids know as flavanols. However, some of the flavanols’ benefits trace to functions other than fighting oxidation. Commercially processed cocoa powder has little to no flavanol content so it offers almost no cardiovascular benefit.
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