According to archaeologists, the human love affair with cocoa started in Mexico and South America, and dates back to at least 1250 B.C. During those times chocolate had many uses, including serving as a form of currency, and in certain ceremonial drinks. But above all, it was prized for its medicinal properties. We now know they excelled at preserving the flavonoids in cocao. What can we learn today to restore the medicinal properties of chocolate?
Cocoa Flavonoids
The subject of dark chocolate flavonoids is of great interest to corporations today, and Mars, Incorporated funds research heavily. So, its important to take that into consideration when talking about today’s leading edge research. But it doesn’t change how ancient cultures made use of this prized plant.
The cocao plant, which is native to Southern Mexico and South America, was intertwined with ancient cultures. Mayans were known to grow and cultivate the plants in their backyards, and evidence of cocoa beans has been found in glyphs from that time period. Chocolate was an integral part of Mayan society for people of all ranks. The most common approach was to roast the beans from the cacao plant, followed by brewing to make what they called “bitter water.” We now know this method preserves flavonoids in chocolate, which are the leading contenders for a variety of health benefits from chocolate.
The use of chocolate as a medicinal is known to have been popular among the Aztecs, who utilized the entire plant. The flowers were used in baths, where they were thought to cure fatigue. Archaeological records indicate that the Aztecs brewed the beans to produce “bitter water,” which was flavored with vanilla, and (of all things) chili pepper. They called this drink ‘xocoatl’ which they gave to their warriors for strength and endurance. But since the plants wouldn’t grow in northern Mexico, the bean was obtained by trade with the Mayans, which made it more valuable in their society.
When the Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes brought cacao to European shores, the use of chocolate as a medicinal continued to flourish. The brewed beverage from Theobroma cacao, (or thunder of the gods), was suggested as a medicinal for over 100 ailments, including tuberculosis, anemia, digestion, as an aphrodisiac, and even as a meal replacement for pregnant women.
In 1847, Fry and Sons developed the first method of preparing “eating chocolate,” which was made into a paste of milk and ground cacao beans. Chocolate’s change from a medicinal proceeded rapidly from there, when Henry Nestle blended his invention (powdered milk) with ground cacao to make the first milk chocolate. Almost immediately, Rodolphe Lindt found a way to convert coarse cacao beans into a smooth blend, giving us the creamy milk chocolate we know today.
Science today is going back and trying to reconstruct some of those perceived health benefits from times gone by, in an effort to understand if they are real. The goal is to revive the use of medicinal chocolate. Recent research has included a group of Kuna Indians that live on islands near Panama. Their society stills consumes chocolate using the methods of the ancient Mesoamericans, which is known to preserve the naturally occurring cocoa flavanoids. The Indians that live on the island have much lower rates of cancer and heart disease than their breathren who migrate off the islands, and no longer consume brewed cacao. Researchers found higher levels of cocoa flavonoids in the bloodstream of island dwellers, as well as higher levels of nitric oxide, which is a marker of healthy cardiovascular function.
Most of us think of medicinal chocolate in terms of antioxidants, and many of today’s chocolates are high in antioxidants. However, cutting edge research suggests that it is the dark chocolate flavonoids that are responsible for dramatic improvements in heart health. Unfortunately, most of the cocoa flavonoids that occur in the bean are destroyed, or intentionally removed during commercial processing of chocolate today.
There is great interest in developing methods of retaining cocoa flavonoids, in the hopes of reviving the use of medicinal chocolate. Although it is commonly believed that chocolates high in dark chocolate are “healthier” this is not always the case. Unfortunately, even chocolate bars approaching 90% dark chocolate commonly have the cocoa flavonoids stripped, or otherwise destroyed, during processing. There are a handful of products on the market, but they are very pricey. So until consumers demand healthier products, lower cost production methods are found, it looks like the masses will have to wait for heart healthy cocoa to hit store shelves.
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Medicinal chocolate? Sign me up!
That’s what I’m sayin!!!