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Chocolate A Functional Food?
Julie Albrecht, Ph.D.
Professor and Extension Food Specialist
Marilynn Schnepf, Ph.D., Professor
Carol Schwarz, Extension Educator
‘Twill make old women young and fresh,Create new motions of the flesh.And cause them long for you know what,If they but taste of chocolate. - James Wadworth (1768-1844; A History of the Nature and Quality of Chocolate)
Chocolate - A Functional Food?
Program Goal: Participants will increase their knowledge about functional foods using chocolate as an example.
Program Objectives:- Know what a functional food is- Know what a health claim is for
functional foods- Know the health benefits of chocolate
“The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food.” - Hernando Cortés, 1519
Chocolate• Comes from seed (bean) cacao trees
• Scientific name is Theobroma cacao (Which means – “Drink of the Gods”)
Producers of Cocoa• Grown 15 degrees north or south of the equator• 70% grown in West Africa with Ivory Coast and Ghana largest producers• Brazil and Ecuador also large producers• Takes 5 years for trees to produce• Most produced by small farmers
Producers of Cocoa• Pods Harvested
• Beans removed from shell, fermented and dried in the sun• Cleaned• Roasted • Ground
Processing of ChocolateProcessing of ChocolateNibs ground to cocoa paste
Paste Pressed
Cocoa butter Cocoa powder
Conching and Tempering
Mixed and ingredients added (Milk Sugar Flavors Nuts, etc)Molded, Made into products
Grinding
Grinding
Tempering
Conching
Processing of Chocolate
Types of Chocolate• Unsweetened Chocolate, Bitter Chocolate, Baking
Chocolate
• Dark chocolate
• Bittersweet, Semisweet Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate
• “Dutch” Chocolate
• White “Chocolate”
Consumption of Chocolate Consumption of Chocolate Chocolate Consumption Kilos per person 2005
Belgium 10.74 Austria 8.33
Switzerland 10.14 Denmark 7.13
UK 9.94 Sweden 6.97
Norway 9.19 Finland 6.43
Germany 8.96 USA 5.58
Source: Adapted from CAOBISCO
Source: www.herseys.com
Lipid Composition of Cocoa Butter
3%
36%
26%
35%
Linoleic
OleicStearic
Palmitic
Source: Chocolate Manufacturers Association, www.chocolateusa.org
Chocolate Labels
Chocolate Labels
Health Benefits Health Benefits before 20before 20thth Century Century
• Comforted the liver• Aided in digestion• Made on happy and strong• Stimulated the kidney• Treatment of anemia, tuberculosis, fever, gout, heart pain• Strengthening the heart
Current Health BenefitsCurrent Health Benefits
Functional Food- a food that contains physiologically active compounds that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition
Nutraceutical- physiologically active components in food that have health-promoting, disease-preventive, or medical properties
Physiologically Active Components in Chocolate
• Flavonoids (Flavanols)• Stearic Acid (fatty acid)• Methylxanthines
• Caffeine• Theobromine
• Magnesium
Examples of Nutraceutical
Flavonoid compounds - act as antioxidants:•Reduce free radicals produced by oxidation•Lower LDL cholesterol•Reduce blood pressure•Reduce platelet aggregation
Flavonoids/Flavanols
Chocolate and cocoa flavanols appear to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) via several mechanisms, including:
● Reducing serum total and LDL cholesterol● Lowering blood pressure● Reducing platelet adhesion/aggregation● Increasing antioxidant defenses● Decreasing inflammation
Chocolate
Stearic Acid (fatty acid)
• Neutral effect on blood cholesterol • Did not adversely affect LDL- cholesterol levels
Magnesium
• Low Dietary Magnesium – Craving ?• Low Dietary Magnesium – risk factor for hypertension, stroke and cardiac arrythmias – Controversial
Caffiene/Theobromine
• Chocolate Addiction/Craving????
Chocolate Myths
• Allergies• Cavities• Cravings/mood• Migraines• Acne
Dose for Health Benefits
• Cardiovascular disease – Cocoa, 5 g = 1 Tbsp to 50 g = ~10 Tbsp – Dark chocolate = ~7 g to 40 g
• Weight modification – Dark chocolate = 90 to 100 kcal/d
Food-Based Health Benefits
• Dark chocolate– 2 tasting squares (20 g)– 90 kcal (45 kcal/square)
• Cocoa– 5 g = 1 Tbsp = 10 kcal– 50 g = 10 Tbsp = 100 kcal
Source:http://www.hersheys.com/home.asp
Functional Foods Health Claim
Example of one FDA-approved health claim:
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and reduced risk of some cancers
Many epidemiologic studies have shown that diets high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds and certain vegetable fats and low in calories, meat and animal fat reduce the risk of some common cancers.
Recommendations• Variety of plant-based foods in the diet can provide a wealth of potentially beneficial phytochemicals (components)• Wide variety of flavonoid-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages should be an integral part of a healthy diet.• Energy density – consideration on how much chocolate to include in diet
Questions?Questions?
EXTRA SlidesOn Free Radical activity and antioxidants
Basis of Free Radical Activity
Many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, aging, are the result of free radical damage and oxidation
Many nutraceuticals are classified as antioxidants, which are compounds that can scavenge or neutralize free radicals
(Free radicals have lost electrons making them very reactive)
Free Radicals
If the amount of free radicals exceed the amount of antioxidants, the free radical will react with and damage other molecules
If the “other molecules” are DNA, mutations can occur- if unchecked can lead to cancer
Basis of Antioxidant Activity
Antioxidants act to control damage caused by free radicals. A primary mechanism used by antioxidants is hydrogen donation
R. + AH → RH + A.
Structure & Activity
What structural components have been found to be important for activity?
First need hydrogen that can be donated without damaging the parent molecule
Structure & ActivityA second factor that increases activity is the
side chain.
A side chain with a double bond has greater activity because the double bond con-tributes to the stability of the compound
FlavonoidsHave antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and
enzyme altering capabilities
Includes flavonols, flavanols, anthocyanins, catechins, and isoflavones
Known as polyphenolic compounds
Flavonoids• Reduce platelet aggregation • Suppress pro-inflammatory mediators, enhance anti-inflammatory mediator (nitric oxide)• Antioxidant effect – protective effect against LDL oxidation, immune function• Cancer – limited studies
Catechins(Specific Flavanoids)
Strong antioxidants associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer
(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate has very high free radical scavenging activity and is capable of interrupting signals needed for survival of cancer cells
Food Sources of CatechinsGreen tea, black tea, berries, and cocoa
Antioxidant Effects• ORAC value – Oxygen radical absorbance capacity • ORAC is a measure of the antioxidant power of a food • Flavonoid-rich foods are not equal
ORAC Value for Select FoodsORAC units/serving
Dark Chocolate 9080Blueberries 8708Cocoa (natural) 8260Raspberries 6895Pecans 5382Cranberries 5201Cherries 4705Walnuts 4062Milk chocolate 3200Grapes 1764Almonds 1336
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/index.html