Thesis ID: CBB001561306

The Medicinal Use of Chocolate: Past, Present and Future (1776--2007) (2007)

unapi

Pucciarelli, Deanna L. (Author)


University of California, Davis


Publication Date: 2007
Physical Details: 364 pp.
Language: English

The thought of using chocolate, or more specifically flavanols an inherent nutrient of cocao, to decrease risk of certain chronic diseases in the 21 st century has gained credibility among nutritionists. The contemporary discovery of the physiology and health implications of this phytochemical has renewed interest in using chocolate as a medicine. The medicinal use of chocolate has a long history, however. It was determined that chocolate was used medicinally in early North America. The overarching question was: when, why, who and what factors influenced its decline as a medicine, and given the rise of functional foods during contemporary times have consumers in North America resumed medical consumption of chocolate based on current scientific findings? There is a rich history of chocolate usage to combat some of North America's most horrific epidemics. Less clear, however, is why chocolate fell from "favor" as a medicine of choice. There is scientific support that suggests a positive relationship between polyphenols consumption natural in cocoa and positive heart health. It is still questionable whether these data are relevant for human disease outcomes where polyphenols are readily consumed at low concentrations and bioavailability is unclear. Researchers who have studied cocoa flavanols mechanistic pathways, mostly agreed that cocoa flavanoids show great promise as a vasodilator of the coronary arteries. The message that cocoa high in polyphenols may attenuate CVD had not been heard by the majority of our study participants. Bias against chocolate as a health promoting food--due to its high caloric content--needs to be addressed so that consumers can appreciate that chocolate can be part of a healthy dietary pattern. When it comes to the term "functional foods" most consumers surveyed believed that candy (chocolate) is "not good for you." Such findings place cocoa products in a unique position. Flavonoids, a functional nutrient natural to cocoa products, is advertised by some manufacturers as "functional," yet convincing the public that chocolate, perceived as candy, can have medicinal properties may be problematic in the United States. Consumer stereotyping of this food product based on social constructs will limit acceptance of cocoa/ chocolate as medicinal. Keywords. Chocolate, Cocoa, Flavonoids, Food History, Functional Foods

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Description Cited in Diss. Abstr. Int. B 68/09 (2008). Pub. no. AAT 3283027.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001561306/

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Authors & Contributors
Williams, Elizabeth A.
Spary, E. C.
Austin, Gareth
Natale Zappia
Micucci, Federica E.
Magnelli, Valeria
Concepts
Food and foods
Nutrition
Medicine
Public health
Cocoa cultivation; chocolate industry
Food safety
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
20th century
21st century
17th century
Early modern
Places
North America
Crimea (Ukraine)
Ghana
Michigan (U.S.)
Catalonia (Spain)
Spain
Institutions
University of Michigan Medical School
United States. Army
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