chocolate in the news
Natural Chocolate Hormone?
August 15, 2014
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is defined as a process where an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is considered as a major treatment for infertility when other measures of assisted reproductive technology have not been successful.
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Chocolate Getting More and More Expensive
July 25, 2014
Chocolate is comfort food for many people. That fact has long been established. Comfort foods are foods we eat to…well, feel comforted. They bring out positive emotions. That’s what they do. However, they are also known to stir up feelings of guilt afterwards.
In a study of American comfort food choices, men leaned more toward warm, hearty, meal-related comfort foods like steak and soup. On the other hand, women opted for foods that were snack related, yup, like chocolate. Also, the study showed how younger people tend to like snack-related comfort foods more compared to people over 55.
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Dark Chocolate Benefit for Peripheral Artery Disease
July 11, 2014
Eating dark chocolate, instead of milk chocolate, has been recommended by health experts for quite some time now. Its reputation, health-wise, is not news anymore.
According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, patients suffering from PAD (peripheral artery disease) can reap major benefits from eating chocolate. Apparently, chocolate can improve vascular health by increasing blood flow.
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Behold The Holographic Chocolates
June 27, 2014
Typically, a single bite of chocolate can already leave your tastebuds in decadent frenzy. But there’s now a process available in making these dark, dulcet morsels look as beautiful as they taste.
If you want to know an example of a hologram, just reach for your wallet. You will see holograms on your driver’s license and credit cards, among others. If you don’t have these, just look around your home. They're in CD’s, DVD’s, software packaging, and almost everything sold as "official merchandise."
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Scientists Reveal How Chocolate Can Taste Even Better
June 20, 2014
I’ll say it time and again, a good bar of chocolate can make any day better. There are many things about chocolate that makes it irresistible. The flavor, texture, and the aroma all add up to its being head-tilting delectable.
To all the self-proclaimed and true blue chocoholics out there, here’s yet another reason to celebrate. A group of researchers from Germany and Switzerland, which we all know are the leading producers of the best chocolate, are working their tails off to better its taste.
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Cravings – The Zero Calorie Chocolate, Yay or Nay?
June 13, 2014
We’ve all been there. You’ve packed your wheat bread sandwich for lunch and some celery sticks to boot. Then, all of a sudden, you’re consumed by the idea of devouring a humongous bar of chocolate… Right. Now.
Scratch that! Your beach trip is a weekend away. And you’ve been so hard on yourself just to get that bikini body you’ve been dying all year to have – or at least since the Holiday season was over.
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A World Without Chocolate?
May 9, 2014
Based on a research in the journal Climatic Change, global food production could drop 0.5% within the incoming 7 years. And by mid-century, an astounding 2.3%.
And global welfare losses could go beyond $200 billion in 2050. All these brought about by one thing: Climate Change.
An Oilprice.com report says the "study ranks the UK, France, Germany, the US and Russia as medium-risk countries in terms of climate-change effects, while Bangladesh, India and the majority of African countries are listed as the most vulnerable economies."
The Chocoholic’s Paradise: the Caribbean
May 2, 2014
The Caribbean islands are almost surreal when it comes to the ever-so-fantastic cacao bean. You’ll get to stumble upon a history with astounding backstories, chocolate factories, and enthusiastic chocolatiers. Here's are a few places places to visit (as summarized from an article in USA Today, A chocoholic's guide to the Caribbean).
Hotel Chocolat, St. Lucia
As you enter the on-site restaurant, Boucan, it’s safe to say you will be awestruck. You can devour cacao-inspired cuisine such as cacao ravioli, along with chocolate soup topped with banana, caramel and toasted almond. Their mahogany floors scream chocolate, too. One of the must-try experience is the tree-to-bar in which you get to choose ripe cocoa pods from the trees and whip up your own chocolate bars. Read more
Problems with Chocolate Milk Ban
April 25, 2014
Recently, a pilot study done by scientists at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab has shown that offering skim milk in lieu of chocolate milk during school lunch diminished the milk sales by 10% and amplified milk waste by 29%. 11 Oregon elementary schools participated in an effort to eliminate unnecessary sugar intake.
The school district's PTA members were against chocolate milk, believing it’s equally bad as soda. Such a policy may get rid of the added sugar in chocolate milk, but it’s also in some sort asking for trouble, nutritional- and economic-wise. Little kids, more often than not, don't choose foods for health, but instead for taste.
Your Gut Bacteria Makes Chocolate Healthier
April 11, 2014
Dark chocolate has been known to have a plethora of health benefits. We’ve heard it time and again that it’s good for the heart and that having chocolate regularly gives you lower body weight.
Just recently, scientists have unveiled one of the many reasons. Bacteria in the gut turn cocoa into compounds that lower inflammation and make us feel full.
Well, isn’t it a delightful time to be a dark-chocolate lover! Word has it that the magic may reside in our own bellies. Science says so. Yeah, science!