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

~ (Author) "For 95 percent of its three-thousand-year history, chocolate has been a drink and a health food..." (more)
Key Phrases: cocoa content, cocoa liquor, cacao pods, Chocolate Unwrapped, New World, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A host of recent studies has revealed news about chocolate that at first seems too good to be true. Chocolate protects you from heart disease. Chocolate improves cholesterol levels. Chocolate may even help prevent some cancers. Can this be? Can America’s most demonized dessert actually be good for you?

In a word, yes. Evidence is piling up that chocolate has a list of health benefits few foods can match. We’re all familiar with antioxidants, the compounds found in fruits, vegetables, red wine, and tea that prevent heart disease, cancer, and premature aging. What we don’t hear is that chocolate has the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food on the planet—ten times that of spinach, five times that of blueberries, and four times that of green tea. Chocolate Unwrapped explains the science behind chocolate’s health benefits, then goes on to dispel the myths swirling around chocolate. Chocolate does not cause acne, allergies, migraines, or hyperactivity. Chocolate has much less caffeine than most people think. And tannins in chocolate actually help prevent cavities, making chocolate better for teeth than other sweets.

Though there is no proof for chocolate’s reputation as an aphrodisiac (both Casanova and the Aztec emperor Montezuma drank it for that purpose), chocolate has clear effects on the brain and mood. Chocolate contains anandamide, a substance that activates the same receptors in the brain as marijuana, as well as other chemicals that causes feelings of excitement and well-being, explaining the natural craving many people feel for it.

Chocolate Unwrapped not only explains the positive physical and psychological effects of chocolate, but goes on to explore the colorful history, botany, and chemistry of chocolate, so you’ll understand what to look for and what to avoid. A recipe section provides a multitude of healthy ways to eat chocolate, from flourless chocolate cake to Mexican mole, and a comprehensive list of resources tells you where to find the best-quality chocolates in the world. All this and more makes Chocolate Unwrapped a book that will change the lives of chocoholics everywhere.

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc; illustrated edition edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931229317
• ISBN-13: 978-1931229319
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 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 (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #698,392 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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)

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)

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.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most readable comprehensive book about Chocolate, October 27, 2003

By	"gourmetannie" (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

Congratulations to the author on an excellently researched, very readable book about Chocolate. The title alone is clever and the subtitle reassuring.
Not only is it wonderfully organized on the Contents page, it is a very enjoyable read. While I could not be described as a "chocoholic" I know many and I totally enjoy ingesting good chocolate from the bar variety to the many delicious ways of including it in our diet.
The recipes included in the text are different from the usual variety and add to the pleasure of the text. It will make an excellent gift as well as owning one personally.