Trying to understand propoganda

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum+,

This article was written by Esther

of the Independent UK. I am sceptical to say the least but would be interested

to have an informed slant. Surely it cannot be right?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

Ever since the Atkins Diet revival made sugar public enemy No. 1, confectionery

manufacturers have had their work cut out to sweeten up their image. It hasn't

been easy: sugar doesn't just make you fat, and thus can contribute to the

development of adult-onset diabetes, it also rots your teeth. Willy Wonka would

be weeping into his top hat.

But recently, chocolate has been undergoing something of a rehabilitation,

and the current thinking is that it may actually be good for you. So, what's

going on?

In fact, the idea of chocolate as a health tonic goes back centuries. Long

before goji berries, broccoli and tomatoes were hailed as

" superfoods " , cocoa and chocolate were celebrated as natural

remedies. Cocoa and its derivatives have, historically, been prescribed for a

range of ailments, including liver disease and kidney disorders, and by the

1600s, chocolate was identified as a mood enhancer.

It is only relatively recently that chocolate fell out of favour with the

health lobby. Although cocoa is rich in flavonoids (which promote healthy

cellular tissue), the practice of mixing it with saturated fat, cholesterol and

sugar made it less friend, more foe. But now chocolate has been thrown a

lifeline: antioxidants. An antioxidant is something that slows down, or

prevents, the oxidation of cells; oxidation produces free radicals, which

damage cells and can lead to heart disease and cancer. The flavonoids in dark

chocolate (containing 70 per cent or more cocoa solids) act as antioxidants,

and it contains almost five times the flavonol content of apples (though they

also have fibre and vitamins). The industrial processes that turn cocoa into

chocolate reduce its antioxidant properties, which is why the less-processed

dark chocolate has more antioxidants.

What may come as less of a surprise to chocolate addicts is the growing

evidence that chocolate is a mood enhancer. Chocolate contains as many as 400

different compounds that promote a better mood and alleviate anxiety, which

helps to explain why so many people experience cravings for it. Serotonin,

endorphins and phenylethylamine are all found in chocolate and can lift the

mood; it also contains the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, and the

amphetamine-like compounds tyramine and phenyletylamine.

However, one set of researchers found that cocoa-filled capsules were unable

to satisfy the cravings of chocolate " addicts " in the same way as

chocolate itself, so it seems that the sensory experience of eating chocolate,

its sweetness and melting softness, contribute to its uplifting effects.

Perhaps most surprisingly, chocolate even works effectively as a cough

remedy. Scientists at Imperial College London discovered that theobromine, one

of the stimulants in chocolate, is a third more effective in stopping

persistent coughs than codeine, the medicine most commonly used. The

theobromine suppresses the nerve activity that causes coughing, and it is

thought that the viscous quality of melted chocolate could help soothe tickly

coughs.

The health benefits of chocolate have not gone unnoticed by its

manufacturers. Prestat, for example, has come up with a new product called

Choxi+, saying that two squares per day contain the recommended daily dose of

antioxidants, while having fewer calories than an apple. And the Japanese

company Glico makes a chocolate called GABA, marketed as an anti-stress product,

and Japanese businessmen can't get enough of it. Chocolate's mood-enhancing

qualities are given a turboboost by the addition of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a

neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the brain, so GABA acts as an

inhibitor and has anti-anxiety properties. People who eat GABA report reduced

stress levels and an enhanced feeling of relaxation.

Clearly, chocolate also contains fat and sugar, but it is worth noting that

the nation with the lowest incidence of obesity and coronary heart disease in

western Europe is also the one with the highest per capita chocolate

consumption: Switzerland.

Alasdair McWhirter, editor of Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal, believes

there is nothing wrong with promoting chocolate as a health supplement,

particularly for its antioxidant properties. " I was also interested in a

study into the Kuna people of South America. They have a low incidence of

cancer and heart disease and drink several cups of a cocoa drink per day. "

Sue Baic, a lecturer in nutrition at Bristol University, isn't so sure about

this rebranding of chocolate. " Using chocolate as a dietary supplement is

fine if you can stick to a prescribed amount. And there are flavanols in other

foods -- fruit, vegetables, wine and tea are all a better source. Not only do

they have lots of vitamins and nutrients that chocolate doesn't, they don't

have the fat and sugar. Choxi+, for example, has 23g of saturated fat per 100g;

the RDA for a woman is 20g per day.

" Do people really need more encouragement to eat chocolate? Considering

that most of the population is overweight, I'm not sure it's such a good

idea. "

[Guest guest]

As far as the propaganda goes, I believe it appears

when the author dismisses the high sugar content some

chocolate has. I think that sugar is a generally

toxic food. There's also the possibility that Swiss

chocolate doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, which

many American commercial brands may contain. Either

way, I think sugar is a concern because it's such an

extreme food (although chocolate can be extreme as

well).

I do eat chocolate occasionally - and agree that it's

an instant mood enhancer. But I eat grain sweetened

chocolate instead of sugar-sweetened. I do love

chocolate covered strawberries as a summer treat. I

also make a hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa power

and soy/rice milk blend. Because of the amasake in my

blended milk, it's usually sweet enough for me but I

can always add a little rice syrup or agave nectar.

Joanna

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