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Facts chocolate lovers must know.

For fans of dark chocolate and tan, the two pleasures are not only compatible, but the former reduces the harmful effects of second, i.e. sunburn, according to Quebec researchers conducting a study to verify it.

An institute of the University Laval in Quebec City has launched a campaign to recruit women in skinned aged 25 to 65 years, told AFP the young researcher leading the study, Bruno Riverin.

Thirty have already answered the call of the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF) and thirty more are expected to constitute a sample of 60 people. The former have already begun to eat three squares of dark chocolate – or placebo – a day and will continue to do so for 12 weeks.

This is a specially prepared chocolate rich in poly phenols, compounds found in cocoa and forming natural antioxidants. Placebo, to taste very similar, do not contain at all.

Of course, neither the participants nor the researchers will know who eats the “real” chocolate, which receives a product “cleansed” of its poly phenols, said Riverin.

During periodic visits to the laboratory, participants will receive on the inside of their forearms precise doses of ultraviolet light emitted by a small lamp. And hopefully the researcher, the experience should show that the skin of those who have eaten the chocolate poly phenols pay helplessly at a much higher dose of radiation that the skin of those who have tasted only placebo.

Studies in Germany and Britain have already provided guidance in this regard. But the number of participants was relatively small, 18 in one case and 30 in the other, is Mr. Riverin.

With the Quebec sample, most important of which is excluded men to have a hormone profile more uniform, the result, if confirmed previous research, manufacturers could enjoy chocolate “authentic”.

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We all love a bargain but, at what price?

 

Over the past 20 years the cost of living, and with it food prices, have at least doubled. The price of the cocoa bean, an essential ingredient of chocolate, has gone up with a whopping 200%.

Interestingly the price of a bar of Cadbury, Nestle, Lindt or whatever some call “chocolate” has hardly changed at all over the same period.

The sobering fact is the amount of cocoa in most commercial bars has dropped and continues to drop. The fat burning ingredient in chocolate, cocoa butter has been gradually replaced with palm oil, and or lard. The end product is clearly designed towards a price, deprived of all the health benefits real chocolate stands for.

 

To rephrase the intro question: We all love a bargain but at what cost?

 

Most household brands selling "chocolate" have been forbidden to call their products chocolates for over 15 years in the EU. Hence they call it Gold, Dairy Milk, Excellence, Fruit and Nut etc.

Frankly we believe the Australian Government should have adopted a similar attitude to cut back on diabetes and obesity. Unfortunately this is not the case yet.

No wonder obesity and diabetes are the biggest health issues Australia has to deal, but fails to act upon.

 

So where has the cocoa butter gone? Skincare! The demand for cocoa butter from the skincare industry is seriously high. Hence, it is a well-known fact among food scientists that a vast majority of people here never experienced real chocolates.

All chocolates at Vanderwee are made in Belgium and are meeting all the requirements demanded by the European Union.

Sending a gift of real handcrafted Belgian chocolates stacked with antioxidants, and everything real chocolate is renowned for will change their taste buds forever...without the guilt factor.

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Dozens of academic studies have concluded that cocoa and dark chocolate-based foods can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve insulin sensitivity and other diabetic symptoms, relieve inflammation, fight depression, increase energy, improve breathing and even decrease your appetite.


Below are a few of the benefits of dark, unprocessed, hand crafted chocolate:
1. Dark Chocolate is loaded with key neurotransmitters like tryptophan, serotonin and dopamine. Often, eating is an emotional experience associated with depression or boredom. Unfortunately the more you eat, the more depressed you become. These nutrient chemicals in cocoa can lower the risk of depression, as well as suppress one's appetite and block the pathway that leads to food cravings. Additionally, phenylethylamine (PEA) improves mood, which in turn decreases food cravings. Food addiction is like drug addiction; consequently, cocoa can minimize food cravings and addictions by delivering the right chemicals.

2. Fiber in cocoa is linked to decreased weight. Fiber helps block some fat absorption as well as a feeling of fullness.

3. Cocoa's flavonoid content can relieve inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with low leptin levels, which increases appetite. In addition, cortisol levels increase with elevated inflammatory chemicals that start to break down muscles, deposit fat in cells and fuel the appetite.

4. Cocoa also contains anandamide, often called the "bliss chemical," because of its involvement in the generation of motivation and pleasure. Like PEA, it greatly influences mood.

5. Cocoa's various vitamins and minerals provide essential nutrients that boost energy levels and aid in recovery from exercise.

6. Research shows that dark chocolate and cocoa-based foods help stabilize blood sugar levels. They also increase insulin sensitivity and proper glucose metabolism, meaning if the sugar in your blood is being utilized properly, it doesn't convert into fat.

7. Numerous studies show that dark chocolate can improve heart health. A recent Dutch study found that elderly men who regularly consumed chocolate had less cardiovascular-related and overall deaths than their non-chocolate counterparts.

8. Though it may seem a contradiction, consumption of dark chocolate can decrease your desire to eat more sweets, which in turn lowers your overall appetite. An added benefit is that energy and blood sugar levels are improved with less snacking and fewer sweets.

9. Some researchers suggest that bacteria in your stomach may play a role in obesity. For centuries, cocoa has been used as an antibacterial agent.

10. Chocolate is a histamine blocker, helping decrease stomach acid and possibly improving digestion.

11. Theobromine, found in abundance in cocoa, is associated with weight loss and increased energy.

12. Studies show that individuals who consume dark chocolate and cocoa-based foods tend to lose weight and have increased energy.

WARNING: Not All Chocolate is Healthy

It's important to note that to benefit from antioxidant properties and cocoa's poly phenols, stick with products that are 50 percent cocoa solids and avoid alkalinization or cheap, artificial imitations, (often brands that are for sale in supermarkets, petrol stations, and news agencies.) those brands have over 30% of fat and and are by EU law no longer allowed to be called chocolate, hence their wrappers calls it Gold, Dairy Milk, Excellence...

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, eating good dark chocolate can actually help us achieve our weight loss goals. (After all the Belgian's and the French are some of the biggest chocolate consumers in the world, remarkably, they are not known for being obese, but they stick with real chocolate and so should you! 
directive 2000/36/EC) (click on the link to read the whole directive). Warning: while it is a short read it is also a difficult read. For the health conscious of us, it will be an eye opening experience.
The EU law:


Dark Chocolate
It designates the product obtained from cocoa products and sugars which, contains not less than 35 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 18 % cocoa butter(*) and not less than 14 % of dry non-fat cocoa solids;

Milk chocolate
It designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars and milk or milk products, which, contains at least 25 % total dry cocoa solids, at least 14 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, creamfrom partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat with not less than 2,5 % dry non-fat cocoa solids, a minimum of 3,5 % milk fat and not less than 25 % total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat).
Family milk chocolate (kids chocolate)
Designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars and milk or
milk products and which contains a minimum of 20 % total dry cocoa solids, not less than 20 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat end not less than 2,5 % dry non-fat cocoa solids,5 % milk fat and not less than 25 % total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat).

White chocolate
Designates the product obtained from cocoa butter, milk or milk products and sugars which contains not less than 20 % cocoa butter and not less than 14 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or
wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat, of which not less than 3,5 % is milk fat.
The following products are by EU law not allowed in chocolate
Animal fats and their preparations not deriving solely from milk shall be prohibited, flours, granular or powdered starch shall only be authorised where the addition is in accordance with the definitions laid down. The quantity of those edible substances added may not exceed 40 % of the total weight of the finished product. Only those flavourings which do not mimic the taste of chocolate or of milk fat may be added to the products.

Note from Vanderwee Chocolates:
EU food standards are not applicable in Australia as there are no enforceable regulations when it comes to chocolate.
What options do you have? Plenty as it appears. Most, if not all global chocolate brands stopped calling their products chocolate years ago. You just didn’t realise it.
First of all ask yourself why the word “chocolate” has been replaced by “fruit and nut”, “gold” “green and gold”, “maya”, “excellence” etc.....
Secondly is the percentage mentioned of the front wrapper indicating x% Cocoa or x% Cocoa SOLIDS?
If it mention cocoa without the solids the percentage is absolutely meaningless and your are being misled.
If that is the case for your favourite brand, compare the above EU law to scrutinise the ingredients. (Hint: chocolate should be straightforward, if it the list of ingredients reads like a mystery it is probably intended to stay a mystery.

Has my favourite brand lost it skills how to make real chocolate?
No, they haven’t. The demand for cocoa butter over the past 2 decades from the cosmetic industry has sky rocked. Multinational chocolate makers are seeking a maximum return for their shareholders by selling the cocoa butter to the cosmetic industry and replacing it with mainly sugars, fats and artificial flavourings. Hence the EU regulators thought it appropriate allowing their citizens to distinguish real chocolate from sugar and fat stacked faux chocolate.

What does Vanderwee do about it?
Our chocolate easily meet the EU standards and have been doing so since we started 14 years ago. They are 95% fat free and the remaining 5% fat in our dark chocolate comes from the cocoa butter. Remember that cocoa butter has very little effect on your levels of LDL, the 'bad cholesterol'.
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For those with a keen interest you can read the full directive by following this link: Read the EU law here.