Printing Office, 202-512-1800 and at http://www.usda.gov/
cnpp/KidsPyra/PyrBook.pdf.
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN)www.niddk
.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/parentips/tipsforparents.htmMegan C.M. Porter, RD, LDChinese dietseeAsian diet
Chocolate diet
Definition
The Chocolate diet is a weight-loss plan that
includes the daily consumption of limited amounts of
chocolate. The phrase ‘‘chocolate diet’’ also signifies
the consumption of chocolate because of claims of
health benefits such as lowering cholesterol.Origins
Chocolate originated during the Classic Period
Maya (250–900) in Mesoamerica, an area that encom-
passed the Tropic Cancer in Mexico, Guatemala, Bel-
ize, El Salvador, and parts of Honduras, Nicaragua,
and Costa Rica. The Maya and their ancestors devel-
oped a method of converting the beans from theTheo-
broma cacao tree into a chocolate beverage. This
process started with the harvesting, fermenting, and
roasting of the beans. The beans were then ground a
paste and mixed with ingredients including water,
chile peppers, and corn meal.
The Maya and the Aztecs in the15th century used
the bitter-tasting beverage in religious and royal cere-
monies. Those were just some uses for the products of
the cacao tree. Christopher Columbus saw that the
Aztecs used cacao beans as currency. He took some
cacao beans back to Queen Isabella and King Ferdi-
nand. Later explorers brought back the knowledge
about how to convert the beans into a beverage. The
Spanish added spices like cinnamon and sugar to the
beverage to make it sweeter. The new beverage
remained Spain’s secret for a century.
Then other Europeans found out about the choc-
olate drink. It was an expensive indulgence, only
affordable to the upper classes. That changed with the
Industrial Revolution of the 1800s. Mass production
brought down the cost of manufacturing treats includ-
ing solid chocolate. Another milestone occurred in
1875 when Daniel Peter and Henri Nestle; created
milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to chocolate.Composition of chocolate
Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat, and
one ounce (28.3 grams) of chocolate contains approx-
imately 150 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. While the
calorie and fat gram count could produce a weight
gain, thefatsin chocolate won’t raise cholesterol lev-
els. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid,
which is a monounsaturated fat. That means that it is
low in saturated fat, which is connected to cholesterol
levels. Chocolate also contains forms of saturated fat
known as stearic and palmitic acids. Saturated fats are
connected to increases in LDL (Low-Density Lipo-
protein). Also known as bad cholesterol, increased
LDL cholesterol can clog arteries, raising the risk for
heart disease. Palmitic acid, which affects cholesterol
levels, forms one-third of the fat calories in chocolate.
The stearic acid appeared to have no effect on choles-
terol levels.
Chocolate also containscaffeineand theobromine,
a chemical similar to caffeine. There’s also some phenyl-
ethylamine, a chemical that creates the sensation people
feel when they’re in love.
Cacao beans also contain flavanoids, a broad cat-
egory of plant products that act asantioxidants.Flava-
noids relax blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate.
Antioxidants are thought to be effective in helping to
prevent cancer, heart disease, and strokes. Sources of
flavonoids include citrus fruits, onions,green tea,red
wine, and dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70%
or higher. Chocolate belongs to a subgroup of flavo-
noids called flavonols.
The presence of plant chemicals like flavonoids is
related the color of the chocolate. There are more
flavonoids in darker chocolate than there are in milk
chocolate. Dark chocolate is also known as semisweet
or bittersweet chocolate because it contains little or no
sugar. It is frequently identified by the percentage of
cocoa. The cocoa content in dark chocolate ranges
from 30% for sweet dark chocolate to 70% or some-
times above 80%. A higher percentage indicates there
is more of a bitter after-taste.Milk chocolate contains fewer flavonoids than
dark chocolate and tastes sweeter. American choco-
late contains milk; European varieties often contain
condensed milk.
White chocolate lacks flavanoids because there
are no cocoa solids in it. It is considered a chocolate
because cocoa butter is usually an ingredient. Some
white chocolate is made with vegetable fats.Chocolate diet