Chocolates for the win!
Chemically speaking, chocolate is the world's perfect food.
There isn't such thing that chocolate cannot heal!
And you won't find a single person who dislikes chocolates. There are chocolates for every mood and occasion.
Chocolate symbolizes food, love, luxury, sensuality, comfort, and gratification.
Honestly speaking, I cannot imagine a world without chocolate.
What does the word chocolate mean?
The word 'chocolate' comes from the Classical Nahuatl word chocolātl and entered the English language from the Spanish language.
History of chocolate :
Cultivation and use of cacao were first started in Mesoamerica where the cacao tree is native. When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind of sheath which is 20" long. Within the sheath are 30 to 40 brownish-red almond-shaped beans embedded in a sweet pulp. While the beans themselves are bitter due to the alkaloids within them, the sweet pulp may have been the first element consumed.
Types of chocolate :
Different types of flavors and forms of chocolate exist. It is due to the methods of roasting of the beans and types of ingredients added to it. Let us look at a few of them :
1. Dark chocolate: It is plain chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa. And the percentage of cocoa varies.
2. Milk chocolate: It is solid chocolate with added milk in it.
3. White chocolate: It is made up of cocoa, sugar, milk and cocoa butter.
4. Ruby chocolate: This is the newest addition to the family, released in 2017. This is made from the ruby cocoa bean and was created by Barry Callebaut.
There is so more to chocolate than we usually know! They have so many other uses, which most of us do not know.
Let us look at some of the different uses of chocolates :
1. It helps to improve the mood.
It makes you feel calmer by stimulating the production of endorphins, chemicals released in brain that create feelings of pleasure. Dark chocolates also contain 'serotonin', an anti-depressant that can elevate mood.
2. Cognition.
Flavonols present in chocolate help in improving cognitive skills.
The researchers found out that hot chocolate helped improve blood flow to the parts of the brain.
3. Skincare
It has been one of the most active and helpful ingredient in skincare and also spa treatments. It protects skin against sun damage due to presence of flavanoids, which help absorb UV light. It keeps skin happy.
4. It contains anti-oxidants.
Chocolate comes from cacao, which is a plant with high levels of anti-oxidants. They help to slow down the aging process and also help in prevention of many diseases.
5. It lowers blood pressure.
Polyphenols present in the dark chocolate helps in lowering the blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health.
6.Promotes gut health.
People with a habit of drinking cocoa rich chocolate milk, found to have higher levels of beneficial bacteria in intestines.
7.Enhances vision.
The researchers have recently found out the improvement in the ability to read small and large letters at different contrasts also called as visual contrast sensitivity in people consumed dark chocolate.
8. It helps with weight loss.
High quality dark chocolate is good for body and helps with weight loss.
9.A universal gift
There is no going wrong with chocolate. It makes the best gift, irrespective of the occasion. This is the one gift you can be sure will be appreciated and enjoyed to the fullest.
With Rakshabandan right around the corner, gift your sibling love and some chocolates. If you are far away from them and need
you have to check - https://www.giftstoindia24x7.com right away.
The next time you eat a piece of chocolate, you may not have to feel so guilty about it.
