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The History of Chocolate: Chocolate Is Today'S Healthy Treat
The History of Chocolate: Chocolate Is Today'S Healthy Treat
CHOCOLATE
Reviewed By: Sabrina Felson, MD
Reviewed on 2/8/2020
The cacao tree, whose pods contain seeds that can be processed
into chocolate, was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical
rainforests of the Americas. The first people known to have
consumed cacao were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 A.D.).
They mixed ground cacao (cocoa) seeds with seasonings to
make a bitter, spicy drink that was believed to be a health elixir.
WHAT WAS CHOCOLATE'S GREAT ALLURE?
To the Mayans, cocoa pods symbolized life and fertility. The pod
was often represented in religious rituals, including marriage
ceremonies, and was referred to as food of the gods. In central
Mexico, the Aztecs believed that wisdom and power came from
eating the fruit of the cocoa tree, and that it had nourishing,
fortifying, and even aphrodisiac qualities.
EUROPEANS ARE CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE
Not really, even though throughout its history, chocolate has been
purported as one. Chocolate contains small amounts of a
chemical called phenylethylamine (PEA), a.k.a. the "love drug,"
and it's been linked to the regulation of physical energy, mood,
and attention. A tiny amount of PEA is released at moments of
emotional euphoria, elevating blood pressure and heart rate.
There is no evidence that PEA found in foods increases PEA in
the brain – although many chocolate lovers may beg to differ!
CHOCOLATE MAKES HEALTH HEADLINES