Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion [Paperback]

Rowan Jacobsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

Detailing the positive physical and psychological effects of chocolate, this book explores its colourful history, botany, and chemistry. Explaining the science behind chocolate, common myths about chocolate -- that it causes acne, allergies, migraines, and hyperactivity -- are dispelled, and its benefits -- tannins in chocolate actually help prevent cavities -- are revealed. Providing medical information relating to chocolate's high antioxidant levels and beneficial effects in terms of heart disease, cancer, ageing, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease, the book also includes information regarding chocolate's mental health benefits. The included recipes provide a multitude of healthy ways to eat chocolate, from flourless chocolate cake to Mexican mole, and a comprehensive list of resources shows chocolate lovers where to find the best-quality chocolates around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Chocolate lovers rejoice! Finally an in-depth and delightful look at the healthy side of one of the most enchanting delicacies on earth."

From the Inside Flap

"I do recommend a piece of good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack . . . it is a source of polyphenols, the same type of antioxidants found in red wine, and the fat it contains is stearic acid, which doesn’t affect cholesterol levels. The latest good news for chocolate lovers comes from a study indicating that flavonoids in chocolate are good for your heart. These compounds reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. By eating a 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar, you get the same amount of these protective compounds as in a 5-ounce glass of Cabernet Sauvignon."
Andrew Weil, M.D.

"Nitric oxide plays such an important role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and, in turn, cardiovascular health. If our research results continue to support a link between consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and nitric oxide synthesis, there could be significant implications for public health."
Norman Hollenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School

"Chocolate contains large amounts of the same beneficial plant chemicals that now have burnished the reputation of tea. In fact, just one ounce of chocolate has about as much of these plant chemicals as a cup of brewed black tea. One large, ongoing study of the benefits of exercise found that men who eat chocolate in moderation live longer than those who eat none."
University of California-Berkeley Wellness Letter

"We already know that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables results in an increase of antioxidants in our blood. We believe chocolate consumption may have the same effect. We forget that chocolate is derived from cocoa beans—the fruit of the cacao tree—a fruit that is a rich source of these potentially beneficial substances."
Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

"Chocolate just stands out [for antioxidant content]. It’s much higher than anything else."
Joe Vinson, Ph.D., University of Scranton

"Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension."
Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Institute of Food Research

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931229317
• ISBN-13: 978-1931229319
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Chocolate

More About the Author

I write about food, the environment, and the connections between the two. Ultimately, my subject is how we interact with myriad other lifeforms to sustain our existence, and what that process can tell us about ourselves and our world. Understanding that makes everything we do a little more meaningful, fun--and delicious! Learn more at www.rowanjacobsen.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No More Guilt - Eat Chocolate Daily for Your Health, March 6, 2010

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion (Paperback)

"For 95 percent of its three-thousand-year history, chocolate has been a drink and a health food." ~ pg. 8

"Chocolate Unwrapped" is an intriguing little book that will completely convince you that chocolate is a healthy food. Dark chocolate that is! It is amazing to learn that chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, oranges, onions or eggplant.

Rowan Jacobsen has a pleasant writing style and draws you into each chapter with tantalizing details. There is a brief discussion about caffeine, theobromine, serotonin, tryptophan, phenylethylamine and anandamide.

If you are concerned about labor practices and environmental issues, Rowan Jacobsen gives information on where to buy the best chocolates so you can eat them guilt free. There is also a chapter of recipes which include a few savory recipes along with the sweet.

Overall, I loved this book and felt the information was presented in a very pleasing manner. It is well organized and covers all the main facts you could ever want to know about how chocolate is made.

If you read this book and are still interested in more information, I can recommend:

Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World's Greatest Food

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

The True History of Chocolate

Chocolate: An Exquisite Indulgence (Miniature Edition)

To try some of the best chocolates in the world:

Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Signature General Assortment

Dagoba Chai (37%) Crystalized Ginger, Chai Spices Bar, 2.0-Ounces Bars (Pack of 12)

~The Rebecca Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chocolate can improve your Health!, January 18, 2008

By 

T. Keiningham "Chocolate Girl" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion (Paperback)

It sounds like an oxymoron to most people when you say "Healthy Chocolate". But everything in this book is true, the antioxidants in good chocolate do wonders. Cocoa is a natural anti-inflammatory, and since over 200 diseases start with inflammation and oxidation of the cells, chocolate can help with so many things. I have seen it first hand with so many people I know, who used to have fibro, allergies, diabetes, athritis...amazing. It truly is the "food of the Gods". Don't go eat the candy kind, though, it HAS to be cold-processed chocolate. See [...] for details. I also recommend Dr. Steve Warren's book on this topic, the Healthy Chocolate Desk Reference, he has truly amazing detail in his research!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!, May 25, 2007

By 

W. Elder "Billy" (Annapolis, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion (Paperback)

Loved the book, a great gift for the chocolate lover in your life! It's very well written and very informative in addition to having some really good recipes included in it.