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All stories culled from various newspaper and magazine clippings.
Five devastating diseases are sweeping through the worlds cocao crops. Every year almost a million tons of cocoa beans, worth more then half a billion pounds, are lost to the plagues on three continents. Scientists confess that to date all attempts to stop the diseases have failed.
Chocolate - harvested from a tropical rainforest tree, whose latin name, Theobroma cacao , describes it as the "food of the gods" - was originally brought across the Atlantic from Central America by Cortez and his conquistadors. The Mayans and Aztecs grew cacao trees in isolated orchard groves, which minimised the spread of disease, but today's intensive cultivation has made the crop more vulnerable.
One disease called "witches' broom", has slashed Brazil's cocoa production by 70 percent in just 10 years and is devastating crops in Peru, Ecuador,Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. Even worse is the "black pod" disease, which has cut harvests by up to 90 percent in West and Central Africa, where two-thirds of the worlds cocoa beans are grown, and has also reached Asia.
A third disease, "frosty pod rot", is rampaging through Nicaragua, Costa Rica and other parts of Latin America, eliminating some crops altogether. A forth, "swollen shoot", has taken up residence in Africa, and the fifth "vascular streak dieback", is confined to Asia.
Scientists fear that if these diseases cross over into each others areas the effects could be devastating. Using fungicides to beat the plagues is costly - and prohibitive because it lowers the crops market price - and may damage rainforest. The best hope may be to combine a series of measures, including preserving the surrounding rainforests, breeding disease resistant trees, and using natural controls.
In the long term a solution could be found in biotechnology, but how the public will respond to GM chocolate remains to be seen.
Cocoa trials on humans appear to show that platelets - the clumping together of blood vessels known to be a factor in heart disease - declined and clumped together less during the six hours after drinking a mug of hot chocolate.
Chocolate contains polyphenols which act as anti-oxidants (also found in red wine) these prevent the oxidation of harmful cholesterol, and trials at Harvard University showed those who ate modest amounts of chocolate, up to three times a month, lived almost a year longer then those who abstained. Chocolate also contains procyanidin that mops up damage caused by free radicals, which also cause heart disease and cancer.
Chocolate could boost concentration because it has a low glycaemic index that means it gives long-lasting energy because it doesn't raise blood sugar too quickly. It also helps those who are lactose intolerant as it stimulates the enzyme lactase in the stomach and trials have shown it helps to reduce symptoms of bloating and cramping when cocoa is added to a cup of milk.
A 50g bar of plain chocolate contains 1.2mg of iron; 45mg of magnesium, and a 50g bar of milk chocolate contains 110mg of calcium. However you would need to eat seven bars a day to get the recommended daily allowances of these minerals, and this would not be good for your health!
There are multiple scientific reasons for this.
The smell of chocolate has been shown to slow down brain waves making us feel calm. As our brain activity slows to alpha waves we experience a pleasant feeling of calm but alert relaxation.
We find eating chocolate so pleasurable it stimulates the release of endorphins (also released during sex) and these act as pain relievers and give us a sense of well-being.
It contains theobromine, a stimulant like caffeine (but without the side effect of the jitters) that helps to make us more alert. It also contains a minute amount of caffeine, about 1mg in three squares of chocolate compared to 85mg in a mug of coffee.
Also present is valeric acid that is a relaxant and a tranquilliser and the sugar used to make chocolate less bitter helps to reduce stress because it activates the opiate-like substances in our brain.
The N-acylethanolamine group of chemicals found in chocolate mimic the psychoactive effects of cannabis and a quick fix will heighten sensitivity and produce euphoria. This may also explain why chocolate boosts the appetite, as these chemicals are known to affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls hunger.
Psychotherapist Murray Langham of New Zealand wrote a book called "Chocolate Therapy: Dare To Discover Your Inner Centre" in 2000, the book claimed to be able to pyschologically profile you from your choice of chocolate here are a few of the unusual conclusions reached:
ON SHAPE:
Round: outgoing and friendly, but often superficial.
Square: dependable, balanced, honest and truthful.
Oval: creative, socially adept, and enjoy making friends.
Rectangles: calm, good listeners, and like to organise others.
Spirals: energetic, disorganised, with chaotic love lives.
Diamond: money orientated and love to be pampered.
Triangle: movers and shakers with little regard for others feelings.
ON FLAVOUR:
Milk Chocolate: romantic and nostalgic.
Dark Chocolate: forward looking.
White Chocolate: indecisive.
Bitter Chocolate: likes the finer things in life.
Any Chocolate at all: flexible and adaptable.
ON CENTRES:
Brazil Nuts: diplomatic, cultured and stylish.
Almonds: speedy thoughts and eager.
Coconut: passionate and daydreams.
Coffee: impatient.
Orange Cream: good in emergencies.
Fudge: sensual.
Ginger: great achievers.
Turkish Delight: spiritual.
Marshmallow: flighty.
Soft Caramel: conscientious.
Hard Caramel: firm and law abiding.
Not by any means a complete list, but we suggest you buy the book for that!
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