"Food of the Gods"
An article all about chocolate for the chocolate lovers out there.
Well, it’s Valentine’s Day! That means bouquets of roses, dinner reservations, and all things chocolate!
You’d be dead pressed to not find something drenched in chocolate on Valentine’s Day- what that thing is is something readers can keep to themselves!
So In celebration of Valentine’s Day we will look at what’s been called the “Food of the Gods”.
A Brief History of Chocolate
Like many foods with strong cultural backgrounds the legacy of chocolate can be traced back many years. However, unlike modern indulgences it was likely that chocolate was consumed for their alleged health benefits, as summarized by Verno, R1:
The origins of chocolate are very old, usually traced back to the Maya people, who were probably the first to cultivate the cacao plant, in 400 AD. The plant we know today is the result of crossing and selection that had already started 35,000 years ago. The consumption of cocoa then was different from what it is today: the dried cocoa beans were ground and dissolved in water, with cinnamon and pepper added to enhance the flavor which was decidedly bitter and strong. The drink took the name of xocolatl. It can be inferred that the drink was most appreciated for its invigorating and stimulating effects than for its taste, effects well known to the ancients.
When, in 1200 AD, the Aztec domination of the Maya began, the drink was particularly appreciated by Emperor Montezuma who is said to be so enamoured of it that he consumed dozens of cups a day (Fig. 2). Cocoa beans were considered so valuable that they were used as currency and kept in safes along with gold and precious stones.
Verno goes on to explain that Aztec mythos points to the god Quetzalcoatl as being the source of cocoa, coming down from the heavens and providing the Aztecs with a cocoa tree and knowledge on how to process cocoa and consume this enriching plant.
The word “chocolate” is likely derived from “xocolatl”, which describes the flavor of the drinks made with cocoa as xocolatl is a combination of “xococ” meaning sour/bitter as well as “atl” meaning water/drink.
It wouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the genus from which cocoa is derived is so aptly named Theobromos; a combination of the Greek words “theo” or god and “bromus” or food, or better put: “food of the gods”.
As to the history of what we consider chocolate today, accounts are a bit spotty. History’s website notes that Spain was likely the first to come across cocoa outside of the Aztecs and Mayans:
There are conflicting reports about when chocolate arrived in Europe, although it’s agreed it first arrived in Spain. One story says Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and brought the beans back to Spain with him in 1502.
Another tale states Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was introduced to chocolate by the Aztecs of Montezuma’s court. After returning to Spain, cacao beans in tow, he supposedly kept his chocolate knowledge a well-guarded secret. A third story claims that friars who presented Guatemalan Mayans to Philip II of Spain in 1544 also brought cacao beans along as a gift.
Nonetheless, as interactions between the Old World and New World grew other countries began to imbibe in chocolate, eventually changing it into the sweet drink that may be more related to today’s hot chocolate sans the milk.
However, even as cocoa gained prominence it was still a vice of the wealthy, serving as a source of luxury for several centuries.
It wouldn’t be until the 1800s that a Dutch chemist came up with a method to alkalize cocoa that cocoa became more widely available:
When chocolate first came on the scene in Europe, it was a luxury only the rich could enjoy. But in 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten discovered a way to treat cacao beans with alkaline salts to make a powdered chocolate that was easier to mix with water.
The process became known as “Dutch processing” and the chocolate produced called cacao powder or “Dutch cocoa.”
The article goes on to suggest that either Coenraad van Houten or his father invented the cocoa press, resulting in the ability to separate cocoa lipids and creating cocoa powder, laying the groundwork for the different delicacies we would come to generally know as chocolate.
Processing Cocoa
From the growing of cocoa trees to the chocolate we find in stores, the process of…well, processing cocoa can be considered rather laborious.
For the most part, most cocoa sourced today are derived from specific regions of South America and Africa that are conducive to crop production. Four main varieties of cocoa make up much of what is consumed globally, with Forastero being the main variety in use due to its high disease resistance and high yield of cocoa pods.
Part of the processing of cocoa occurs on cocoa farms themselves in which the cocoa pods are harvested, the beans separated, fermented, and dried prior to being used industrially.
From there, additional methods are taken to further process the beans, including roasting them.
For further details regarding the processing of cocoa refer to a review from Ditchfield, et al.2
A summary of the processing pathway can be seen in the figure below:
Note that cocoa liquor refers to the paste of cocoa solids and cocoa butter that is formed during the milling process. When pressed, the butter gets extracted, leaving behind the solid portion of the cocoa in the form of a cake, which can then be broken up into cocoa powder. Although the chart lists alkalization as an additional step, remember that not all cocoa powder is Dutch processed and therefore may not be alkalized.
Cocoa butter can go on to be used in many products and has grown in interest in recent years. However, for the sake of this article it’s the form of eatable chocolate that we are interested!
If you’ve ever been curious about the different shades of chocolate the difference is rather direct. Dark chocolate is generally comprised of a mix of cocoa powder/solids and cocoa butter with the addition of sugar. In contrast, milk chocolate has milk added to the recipe (obviously!) and may be comprised of a higher sugar content. For white chocolate the cocoa powder/solids are omitted entirely, with the cocoa butter being combined with sugar and milk to form this confection. Additional flavors by way of vanilla may also be added to chocolate as well, giving us that ever-so desirable flavor that we’ve come to know and love.
Cocoa vs Cacao
If you’ve stared at a chocolate bar (because of course you have!) you may have noticed large numbers indicating some sort of “% Cacao”. Researching what exactly cacao is online might not provide much help as cacao may refer to the less processed, unroasted form of cocoa, which still won’t explain what the percentage refers to.
In short, the “% Cacao” on products refers to the overall percentage of cocoa-derived compounds in the chocolate (usually a percentage by weight). This includes cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Put another way, it tells you what percentage of a chocolate bar is derived from cocoa, and what percentage is derived from additives such as sugar, milk, or other ingredients. Keep in mind that the number does not tell what percentage of the chocolate is derived from cocoa butter and how much is derived from cocoa solids.
Chocolate as a Health Food?
In recent years chocolate has been made a bit of an enemy in the eyes of health experts, and it doesn’t help that most chocolate available today is likely to be a staunch derivative of what the Aztecs and Mayans consumed.
That being said, cocoa beans have been considered one of the densest sources of polyphenols available, with evidence suggesting that the whole bean may be comprised of up to 10% polyphenol content by weight.
The polyphenol content of cocoa is comprised predominately of catechins, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins, with proanthocyanidins making up the largest portion of the polyphenols available from cocoa.
A review from Magrone, et al.3 describes several of these polyphenols:
Finally, with regard to polyphenol composition, catechins, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins are the most abundant class of compounds contained in cocoa powder (19). In particular, flavanols are presented as monomers, e.g., monomers (+)− and (−)− isomers of catechin and epicatechin (epi), and, in addition their derivatives are build-up of epi subunit polymers (proanthocyanidins) (19–21). Minor components are represented by phenolic acids, flavonols, and their glycoside, some stilbenes, simple phenol, and isocoumarin (22–24). Among anthocyanins, cyanidins-3-α-l-arabinoside and cyanidin-3-β-d-galactoside are the most represented compounds (18). (−)− epi accounts for the 35% of the total phenolic content, while (+)− catechin, (+)− epigallocatechin and gallocatechin are minor constituents. Procyanidins are present as dimers, trimers, and oligomers of flavan-3, 4-diols, linked by 4 → 8 or 4 → 6 bounds (20, 25, 26).
Catechins are also found in tea and wine, and are one component argued to provide health benefits regarding those drinks.
Unfortunately, the relatively high polyphenol content also makes for a rather unpleasant product as polyphenols are the reason for the bitter taste of chocolate, resulting in additives to make chocolate more palatable.
Like with many plants the variety of polyphenols derived from cocoa beans depend upon various environmental factors such as temperature, rain, light intensity, and soil nutrients.
Processing of cocoa can also alter the polyphenol content, with a large degree of polyphenols (up to 10-fol) being lost through the roasting process, as well as the fermentation and drying processes as well. Roasting cocoa beans creates other compounds which themselves help to impart more subtle, nuanced flavors at the cost of higher polyphenol content.5 There’s also an unfortunate question as to whether some of these compounds may be harmful, as some by-products of roasting include aldehydes and other aromatic structures such as Furfural derivatives which impart more complex, caramel-like flavors but may carry some possible health risks (although bear in mind likely at extremely high doses).
There’s a lot to discuss in regards to the polyphenols so individual examinations for each polyphenol would be outside of the current scope of this article.
In general, like with many polyphenols these compounds are argued to provide antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help with cardiometabolic health.6 Research is also investigating the role of cocoa-derived polyphenols as possible anticancer and antiviral agents. Again, these effects are general to polyphenols, but it may be the rather higher level of polyphenols in chocolate that may make them more desirable (and they may taste better!).
Rather than summarize much of these properties I will refer to other sources of literature reviews for those interested in a deeper dive.
Katz, et al.7: Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease
Goya, et al.8: From Cocoa to Chocolate: Effect of Processing on Flavanols and Methylxanthines and Their Mechanisms of Action
Zimmermann, B. F. & Ellinger, S.9: Cocoa, Chocolate, and Human Health
Montagna, et al.10: Chocolate, "Food of the Gods": History, Science, and Human Health.
Unfortunately, as promising as many of these health benefits of chocolate are the evidence, like with everything, appears to be rather mixed. I know, probably not something readers would like to hear!
And even worse, one of the biggest caveats for chocolate’s health benefits may be due to the calorie-dense nature of chocolate itself, as chocolate tends to be high in fat (and sugar in more processed varieties). This creates a conundrum since any health benefits from chocolate may be offset by the fact that chocolate may invariably lead to weight gain if consumed too often. Again, not something readers may like to hear!
It’s also important to note that studies utilizing some of these cocoa-derived polyphenols may be using polyphenol supplements and not necessarily chocolate itself, and therefore will not consider the calorie-dense nature of chocolate as a possible factor in results.
Being a Theobromine
You may have heard that chocolate can be extremely toxic to pets, and around this time of the year may be an additional concern for all the chocolate that may be scoured about (not sure if that’s the case for my readers but you all do you).
This may be due mainly to a compound that looks rather like caffeine called Theobromine, a compound named after the food of the gods itself.
Theobromine comes from a class of compounds called Methylxanthines, in which the chemical structure involves additions of methyl groups to the xanthine backbone.
The effects of methylxanthines come from their structural similarity to the nucleoside Adenosine, which itself is responsible for regulating many cardiovascular and central nervous system functions. As is well known, chocolate tends to contain both caffeine and theobromine, and It’s suspected that some of the alleged aphrodisiac-like properties of chocolate may stem from the effects of these methylxanthines.
Martinez-Panilla, et al.11 provides the following summary regarding the mechanisms of caffeine:
The main pharmacological effects of caffeine, largely due to its structural similarity to adenosine molecule (Figure (Figure1),1), include the inhibition of phosphodiesterases (enzymes that degrade the second messenger, cAMP), the regulation of intracellular calcium levels and the antagonism of adenosine receptors (Choi et al., 1988; McPherson et al., 1991; Chen and Chern, 2011; Johnson et al., 2012; Tazzeo et al., 2012). These primary actions result in the well-described physiological effects of caffeine as stimulant of CNS (Smit et al., 2004; Ciruela et al., 2006). Moreover, this methylxanthine can also perform other peripheral processes such as relax smooth muscles or stimulate the diuresis and cardiac muscle contraction (Tazzeo et al., 2012). Caffeine is mainly metabolized by the liver and, interestingly, one of its metabolites is theobromine (Becker et al., 1984).
And when it comes to both caffeine and theobromine one proposed mechanism includes the following:
As methylxanthines, caffeine and theobromine (Figure (Figure1),1), are blockers of adenosine receptors which are G-protein-coupled receptors that sense the presence of extracellular adenosine. Adenosine is both an intermediate metabolite and also a messenger molecule that exerts its hormone-like action in the periphery and acts as a potent neuroregulator in the CNS. Four receptor subtypes for the compound have been identified: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3, widely distributed in the human body although with differential cell/tissue expression. Brain physiology is dependent upon variations in the concentration of adenosine that impacts on adenosine receptors in neurons. In this sense, a quick way to start the daily activities is disrupting the effect of adenosine in the brain by using blockers of its specific receptors. Technically such blockers are called “antagonists” and, therefore, caffeine and theobromine are antagonists of adenosine receptors.
What’s interesting is that caffeine and theobromine don’t share all the same effects as each other even though they are highly similar in structure. The elucidation of these differences and explanations for such are still not entirely clear.
Martinez-Panilla, et al. does bring up the fact that theobromine tends to have a relatively higher half-life as compared to caffeine, and in fact the toxic effects of theobromine may be related to the increased half-life and reduced metabolism in some mammals. Essentially, theobromine may not be readily eliminated in dogs and therefore allows for more room for toxic effects to take place.
Is there vomit in my chocolate?
Over the past few years there appears to be a growing international war taking place, in which Europeans have taken to lambasting American chocolate for tasting absolutely despicable.
I can see why many chocolates produced in the US may be of lower quality, but quite a bit of the mudslinging is derived from a molecule which is suspected of being added to American chocolate.
That compound is Butyric Acid- a four-carbon fatty acid that is extremely unpleasant in smell, usually being associated with odors of vomit and body odor. Butyric acid is commonly found in the gut as well as in dairy products, especially as they being to spoil and turn sour. It’s this foul-smelling compound in which the foul, smelly Europeans have lambasted American chocolates for as it’s suggested that American chocolate manufacturers may intentionally add butyric acid to products, possibly as a means of extending the shelf life of these products, leading to descriptions of American chocolate tasting funky and off relative to other chocolates.
Again, American chocolate isn’t much to be proud of in some regards, and there does appear to be some evidence of American chocolate tasting far different than ones from other parts of the world (at least as reported by those overseas who have tried American chocolate).
However, contrary to popular opinion it doesn’t appear that Hershey’s and other American manufacturers are adding butyric acid directly, but instead are utilizing a process that may slightly spoil the milk to make the chocolate more shelf stable, with a by-product of this process being butyric acid. This is likely due to a process of lipolysis, in which fatty acids within the milk become broken down into smaller fatty acid chains, with butyric acid being one of several examples of these smaller fatty acid constituents.
There’s not much to go off in regard to how Hershey’s actually produces their chocolate as it appears to be proprietary, but The Huffington Post provides the following remarks from author Michael D’Antonio who wrote a book on Milton S. Hershey:
“Part of the process to achieve this stability and year-round accessibility, D’Antonio said, involved spoiling the milk. This would be just to the point where the spoiling wouldn’t happen in the actual chocolate: the milk was safe and the chocolate’s flavor and quality was sustained. This method produced milk chocolate with that slight hint of tang. This product, with this flavor, came to be what Americans knew and loved as chocolate, providing the Hershey’s brand with a formula they’d stick with for consistency.
So, while Hershey’s may not take the extra step of adding butyric acid, they are using that fresh milk, which has butyric acid in it, and this continues to yield that familiar flavor.”
Irrespective of the source of butyric acid the presence of it can be rather off-putting when paired with chocolate. In that regard, it’s worth understanding that the wider availability of chocolate on store shelves is a consequence of this possibly off-putting method of chocolate making as it made chocolate far more accessible to those less wealthy. That being said, it points out that a longer shelf life of chocolate may be related to some of these flavors, and therefore may serve as an indicator for not only the ingredients in chocolate but the method by which it is made. Want less vomit funk? Maybe go for a more easily perishable chocolate!
But if funk is what you like, it’s worth noting that butyric acid is part of a growing collection of compounds called short-chain fatty acids which are produced by gut bacteria and are critical aspect to our health.12 So maybe American chocolate isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be?
Eat for Health and Eat for Love
Regardless of whether chocolate is actually healthy people will continue to enjoy chocolate and cocoa products for years to come. And sometimes, it’s not always about eating healthy- sometimes it can be about showing love and sharing with those we care about, even if that may have an unfortunate consequence on our waistlines.
HOWEVER, if healthful chocolate is what you’re looking for consider the following:
Many of the polyphenols from cocoa may be lost through various processing methods such as fermentation, drying, and in particular roasting. Unprocessed products such as cocoa nibs are likely to be far higher in polyphenols and may be far more beneficial. Remember that even baking can result in loss of polyphenols.
If choosing chocolate try going for chocolate with higher cacao content. Several bits of research have looked at chocolate with greater than 70% cacao content with unfortunately mixed results, but conceptual-wise the higher the cacao the better.
Be mindful that chocolate is a rather calorie-dense food due to the high level of fat naturally found in cocoa. The addition of sugar in many products will also result in an offset of health benefits. The simpler the better when trying to balance palatability and health. That is, look for products that are focused on chocolate rather than chocolate flavors such as those found in highly processed chocolates, ice creams, and other desserts. The fewer the ingredients the better when it comes to chocolate.
When looking at clinical trials involving cocoa/chocolate take care to figure out what source of chocolate is being used as some studies may suggest cocoa/chocolate polyphenols but may utilize supplemental sources rather than food sources.
And most of all remember all things in moderation. It’s OK to indulge a little bit every now and then so long as we don’t overdo it.
So whatever form your chocolate comes in today enjoy and happy Valentine’s Day!
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Verna R. (2013). The history and science of chocolate. The Malaysian journal of pathology, 35(2), 111–121.
Ditchfield, C., Kushida, M. M., Mazalli, M. R., & Sobral, P. J. A. (2023). Can Chocolate Be Classified as an Ultra-Processed Food? A Short Review on Processing and Health Aspects to Help Answer This Question. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 12(16), 3070. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163070
Magrone, T., Russo, M. A., & Jirillo, E. (2017). Cocoa and Dark Chocolate Polyphenols: From Biology to Clinical Applications. Frontiers in immunology, 8, 677. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00677
Sorrenti, V., Ali, S., Mancin, L., Davinelli, S., Paoli, A., & Scapagnini, G. (2020). Cocoa Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota Interplay: Bioavailability, Prebiotic Effect, and Impact on Human Health. Nutrients, 12(7), 1908. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071908
Barišić, V., Kopjar, M., Jozinović, A., Flanjak, I., Ačkar, Đ., Miličević, B., Šubarić, D., Jokić, S., & Babić, J. (2019). The Chemistry behind Chocolate Production. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(17), 3163. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24173163
Aprotosoaie, A. C., Miron, A., Trifan, A., Luca, V. S., & Costache, I. I. (2016). The Cardiovascular Effects of Cocoa Polyphenols-An Overview. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 4(4), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases4040039
Katz, D. L., Doughty, K., & Ali, A. (2011). Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 15(10), 2779–2811. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2010.3697
Goya, L., Kongor, J. E., & de Pascual-Teresa, S. (2022). From Cocoa to Chocolate: Effect of Processing on Flavanols and Methylxanthines and Their Mechanisms of Action. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(22), 14365. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214365
Zimmermann, B. F., & Ellinger, S. (2020). Cocoa, Chocolate, and Human Health. Nutrients, 12(3), 698. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030698
Montagna, M. T., Diella, G., Triggiano, F., Caponio, G. R., De Giglio, O., Caggiano, G., Di Ciaula, A., & Portincasa, P. (2019). Chocolate, "Food of the Gods": History, Science, and Human Health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4960. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244960
Martínez-Pinilla, E., Oñatibia-Astibia, A., & Franco, R. (2015). The relevance of theobromine for the beneficial effects of cocoa consumption. Frontiers in pharmacology, 6, 30. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2015.00030
Liu, H., Wang, J., He, T., Becker, S., Zhang, G., Li, D., & Ma, X. (2018). Butyrate: A Double-Edged Sword for Health?. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 9(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmx009
Excellent, as usual. Thank you.
It would also be enlightening to read a deep dive on lead contamination of chocolate/cocoa, as it seems to be quite a problem within the industry. This contamination also makes much more tenuous the idea of chocolate as a “health” food.
Chocolate beats Prozac and @Moderndiscontent tells us why.