Chocolate and Coffee

Chocolate and Coffee

Why chocolate isn’t verboten – the answer lies in the cocoa butter; which soothes like olive oil

We have Christopher Columbus to thank for introducing cocoa beans to the European palate in the 15th century. But it fell to several American medical researchers recently to reveal that indulging a chocolate habit may be a reasonably healthy thing to do. Not that anyone is recommending that you substitute chocolate for fruits and vegetables, but when it comes to your heart’s health, certain types of chocolate seem to have the same salutary effect as olive oil.

This is surprising since chocolate is high in saturated fatty acids, which normally boost blood cholesterol levels sharply, clogging arteries and paving the way for heart attacks. But chocolate is made of cocoa butter, a saturated fatty acid unusual for its large amounts of stearic acid. When stearic acid enter the digestive system, it is converted by the liver to oleic acid, a substance that is also found in olive and canola oils and that has no ill effects on blood cholesterol levels.

In a study by Dr. Penny Kri-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, conducted in the early 1990s, subjects who followed a diet rich in cocoa butter saw no rise in their blood cholesterol levels; the same results were observed in participants on a diet heavy with olive oil. But a group with a diet rich in dairy butter experienced clear increases in its cholesterol readings.

Cocoa Beans

Dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate because milk includes not only cocoa butter but also milk-based butterfat. Some chocolate products like cocoa mixes and candy bar coatings may also use tropical oils like coconut and palm oil, which also boost cholesterol counts. But if you’re eating dark chocolate, two or three chocolate bars a week pose no real heart risk, according to researcher Scott Grundy of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where much of the chocolate study is taking place.

Another Cup of Coffee Please

Cup of coffee: Studies show that a little caffeine in the morning poses no offense

Coffee may not have the medicinal power of green tea, but for most people it gets a relatively clean bill of health. A recent study by researchers at the Harvard University School of Public Health found no significant increase in the risk of heart disease or stroke among men who drank up to four cups of coffee a day.

Since this bverage is high in caffeine, and caffeine boosts heart rates and raises blood pressure, scientists had worried that coffee drinking might contribute to higher rates of heart disease. A smaller, earlier study had suggested just that, but the concern now seems alleviated, both by the Harvard research and a second study by the Kaiser permanent health care organization in California.

This is not to say that there aren’t physical effects to coffee drinking. Small amounts of caffeine spur brain cells, helping to improve concentration and reaction time and to relieve drowsiness and fatigue. But too much caffeine can often lead to irritability and restlessness and the inability to sleep. Caffeine also stimulates more frequent urination, as any coffee drinker knows. Bur earlier suspicions that coffee might be linked to bladder cancer have been dispelled by recent research.

Still, not everyone can drink coffee with impunity. Pregnant women raise their risk of miscarriage 22 percent with just one eight-ounce cup of coffee daily. Caffeine also is likely to cause various “withdrawal” effects, such as headaches or depression, among those attempting to break their coffee habit. But figure this one: According to surveys of women over 60 in Washtenaw County, Michigan, 62 percent of those who drank at least one cup of coffee a day reported being sexually active, compared with only 37,5 percent of the coffee teetotalers.

Today’s Jive about Java

In a survey conducted by the National Coffee association, the following percentage of Americans agreed with these statements:

• The amount of coffee I am drinking now is about right for me 86%.
• It is an affordable luxury – 60%.
• Drinking coffee is a nice way to relax – 52%.
• Compared to other beverages, you buy and drink away from home, coffee is something of a good value – 56%.
• This beverage is becoming more popular among people like me – 55%.
• I feel better about drinking this beverage than I used to – 53%.
• I feel decaffeinated coffee is a better choice for health-conscious people like me – 52%.
• The variety of coffees now has really added excitement to drinking coffee – 50%.
• Coffee helps me get things done – 39%.
• I am likely to drink more decaffeinated coffee in the coming year – 30%.
• I am concerned about the amount I currently drink – 24%.

Candy’s Dirty Dozen

Even the smallest of these sweets contained 14 grams of saturated fats. One box or bar of Candy contains (amount, calories, saturated fat, fat, sugar):

• KitKat – 3.4 oz; 500; 18 g; 26 g; 40 g.
• Almond Joy, king size – 3.2 oz; 460; 16 g; 26 g; 34 g.
• Nestle’s Crunch – 3.5 oz; 500; 14 g; 16 g; 40 g.
• Reese’s Pieces – 2.7 oz; 370; 14 g; 16 g; 40 g.
• Whoppers – 2.8 oz; 368; 13 g; 16 g; 45 g.
• Goobers – 3.5 oz; 528; 12 g; 34 g; 41 g.
• Butterfinger Bite Size – 4.0 oz; 532; 11 g; 20 g; 76 g.
• Sno-Caps – 3.1 oz; 418; 11 g; 18 g; 51 g.
• Raisinets – 3.5 oz; 440; 10g, 18 g; 62 g.
• Milk Duds – 3.0 oz; 368; 10 g; 13 g; 30 g.
• M & M’s Plain – 2.6 oz; 360; 9 g; 15 g; 48 g.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – 1.6 oz; 240; 6 g; 14 g; 19 g.
• (Source – Industrial manufacturers).