DARK CHOCOLATE Erica Mai and Meghan Mannhalt, period one

History of dark chocolate  Goes back 3000 years  Began as a bitter drink in made of cocoa seeds in the pre-historic tropics of South America  Mayan and Aztec civilization, then around the world, spread by the great colonial powers  Reserved as a beverage for the elite  Adopted by European invaders  Carried by British officials to the New World aka America, 16 th Century  Chili pepper was replaced with sugar and was first created as a solid by Dutch chocolate maker, Conrad J. van Houten

What makes it a super food?  Loaded with nutrients critical to a healthy and long life  Low in calories  Reverse the well-known effects of aging including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers

Health benefits  Natural fat  Flavonols help maintain healthy blood pressure, promote blood flow, and promote heart health  Improve bad cholesterol  Help muscle fatigue  Nearly TWICE the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea  Highest antioxidant value of ALL natural foods in the world!  Help keep fatty substances in the blood from congealing together, decreasing the risk of clogging of the arteries  Good source of the minerals sulfur, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, plus some of the important B vitamins

Recommended servings  Up to 7 ounces per week, average 1 ounce per day  Small portions of high quality dark chocolate

“Side kicks” of dark chocolate Red Wine Green Tea

How to incorporate into diet  Make sure to eat only dark chocolate!  Be careful with calories  Skip the milk  Avoid fillers like caramel and nougat  Try dipping fresh fruit into melted dark chocolate as a dessert

Interesting facts  Small amounts on a regular basis can help stop cravings for unhealthy foods  It takes approximately four hundred cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate  Myth that chocolate is loaded with caffeine  300 compounds and chemicals hiding in each bite  Declared superfood in 2010

Sources  pyramid/dark_chocolate.htm pyramid/dark_chocolate.htm  superfoods-diet.html superfoods-diet.html  urces/History_of_Chocolate/History_of_Chocolate. asp urces/History_of_Chocolate/History_of_Chocolate. asp