Chocolate, dark

U.S. definitions and standards for chocolate are quite specific (19). Sweet chocolate must contain at least 15% chocolate Hquor by weight and must be sweetened with sucrose or mixtures of sucrose, dextrose, and com symp soflds ia specific ratios. Semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate, though often referred to as sweet chocolate, must contain a minimum of 35% chocolate Hquor. The three products, sweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate, are often simply called chocolate or dark chocolate to distinguish them from milk chocolate. Table 6 gives some typical formulations for sweet chocolates (5). 

Table 6. Typical Formulations for Sweet (Dark) Chocolates...

Brown combinations usually contain iron with chromium, zinc, titanium, or aluminum. There are a few without iron that contain chromium, antimony, tin, zinc, manganese, or aluminum. They range from tight tans to dark chocolate. The shades ate not as red as ferric oxide, but the browns are far superior to hydrated iron oxide in brightness and thermal stability. 

YING W, VINSON J A, ETHERTON T D, PROCH I, LAZARUS S A and KRIS-ETHERTON P M (2002) Effect of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptihihty and prostataglandin concentration in hiunans, Am J Clin Nutr, 74, 596-602. 

Most chocolate is consumed in the form of chocolate confectionery. Sweet chocolate is produced from chocolate liquor with the addition of sugar and cocoa butter. Sometimes called dark chocolate, sweet chocolate must contain at least 15% chocolate liquor, but may contain as much as 50%. Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate consists of a minimum of 35% chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor content results in sweet and semisweet chocolate containing the highest amount of theobromine and caffeine per serving of any type of chocolate confectionery (Table 9). Within brands of sweet chocolate, there is wide variation in the methylxanthine... 

Engler MB, Engler MM, Chen CY, Malloy MJ, Browne A, Chiu EY, Kwak HK, Milbury P, Paul SM, Blumberg J and Mietus-Snyder ML. 2004. Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. J Am Coll Nutr 23 197-204. 

Darenthin, molecular formula and structure, 5 96t Dark chocolate, 6 361 minerals content, 6 371t theobromine and caffeine content, 6 367t tocopherols, 6 370t typical formulation, 6 362t Dark conductivity ( D), of a-Si H, 22 ... 

Chocolate constitutes a significant dietary source of theobromine (Shivley and Tarka 1984). Hot cocoa, for example, prepared from instant mix provides approximately 60 mg of theobromine and 4 mg of caffeine per serving. Chocolate contains less caffeine per serving than coffee (0.4-1.2% of caffeine in cocoa), but may still have significant amounts, depending on the preparation. For exampie, miik chocoiate contains up to 15 mg of caffeine per ounce, but dark chocolate can contain up to 35 mg per ounce. 

Quantitative data for chocolate are limited, but the available literature demonstrates that it is a good potential source of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and type B procyanidins. Dark chocolate, for example, contains 6.6 mg, 21.8 mg, and 2.1 mg/100 g of catechin epicatechin, and procyanidins, respectively. 

Some people prefer dark chocolate. Others go for the gooey chocolate-covered cherries. Many don t care for coconut in their sweets. And most people are happy with any mixture of any kind. Different kinds of candies have different prices, depending on the ingredients. When you combine different candies in packages, the quality or price of each type is multiplied by the quantity or weight to determine the price of the mixture. 

Dr. Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton believes that there is something to the chocolate effect, and he came to Belmont to tell us about his intriguing research. Vinson has determined the total polyphenol content of various chocolates and has also found a way of measuring how effective these mixtures are in preventing the oxidation of human ldl in a test tube. In other words, he has calculated a phenol antioxidant index, which takes into account both the quantity and the quality of these desirable substances. At the symposium Vinson reported that cocoa powder and dark chocolate are the best, followed by milk chocolate. Instant cocoa mixes trail the field. Then Vinson delivered the kicker chocolate has more, and better, polyphenols than fruits or vegetables and more than red wine. A forty-gram bar of dark chocolate has as many polyphenols as a cup of that widely promoted antioxidant cocktail we call tea. But there is still the matter of chocolate s fat content. Researchers tell us, though, that at least half of it is stearic acid, which does not raise blood cholesterol. 

Figure 0-5 Chromatogram of 20.0 microliters of dark chocolate extract. A 4.6-mm-diameter x 150-mm-long column, packed with 5-micrometer particles of Hypersil ODS was eluted (washed) with watenmethanokacetic acid (79 20 1 by volume) at a rate of 1.0 mL per minute.

The table also reports the standard deviation of three replicate measurements for each sample. Standard deviation, discussed in Chapter 4, is a measure of the reproducibility of the results. If three samples were to give identical results, the standard deviation would be 0. If results are not very reproducible, then the standard deviation is large. For theobromine in dark chocolate, the standard deviation (0.002) is less than 1% of the average (0.392), so we say the measurement is reproducible. For theobromine in white chocolate, the standard deviation (0.007) is nearly as great as the average (0.010), so the measurement is poorly reproducible. 

Catechin and the proanthocyanidin prodelphinidin B3 are, respectively, the major monomeric and dimeric flavan-3-ols found in barley and malt where prodelphinidin B3 is the main contributor for the radical scavenging activity [Dvorakova et al., 2007], Proanthocyanidins have also been detected in nuts. Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) and pecans (Carya illinoensis) are particularly rich in proanthocyanidins containing ca. 5 g kg, whereas almonds (Prunus dulcis) and pistachios (Pistachio vera) contain 1.8-2.4 mg kg 1, walnuts (Juglans spp.) ca. 0.67 g kg, roasted peanuts (Arachis hypgaea) 0.16 g kg, and cashews (Anarcardium occidentale) 0.09 g kg 1 [Crozier et al., 2006c]. Dark chocolate derived from the roasted seeds of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is also a rich source of procyanidins [Gu et al., 2004], Monomeric flavan-3-ols and the proanthocyanidin B2, B5 dimers, and Q trimer are found in fresh cocoa beans (Fig. 1.13). Flavan-3-ols have also been detected in mint... 

Wan Y, Vinson JA, Etherton TD, Proch J, Lazarus SA, Kris-Etherton PM. 2001. Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 74 596-602. 

Grassi D, Lippi C, Necozione S, Desideri G, Ferri C. 2005. Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons. Am J Clin Nutr 81 611-614. 

Vlachopoulos C, Aznaouridis K, Alexopoulos N, Economou E, Andreadou I, Stefana-dis C. 2005. Effect of dark chocolate on arterial function in healthy individuals. Am J Hypertens 18 785-791. 

O Cocoa, hazelnut, dark chocolate, I green vegetables (haricot beans) [... 

Chocolate has antioxidant properties for low-density lipoproteins and hence could prevent heart disease. Foods and beverages derived from cocoa beans have been consumed by humans since 460 a.d. Cocoa pods from the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) are harvested and the beans removed and fermented. Dried and roasted beans contain about 300 chemicals including caffeine, theobromine, and phenethylamine. Chocolate liquor is prepared by finely grinding the nib of the cocoa bean and is the basis for all chocolate products. Cocoa powder is made by removing part of the cocoabutter from the liquor. Bittersweet chocolate, sometimes called dark chocolate, contains between 15 and 60% chocolate liquor, the remainder being cocoa butter, sugar, and other additives. Milk chocolate is the predominant form of chocolate consumed in the U.S. and typically contains 10 to 12% chocolate liquor. 

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