Category Archives: Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Dark chocolate is distinguished from milk chocolate by the higher cocoa content in combination with its lower sugar content. This means that dark chocolate is more bitter than milk chocolate, is considerably less sweet, and therefore is far less popular. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Procyanidins | Comments Off on Dark Chocolate

Cocoa Polyphenols and Their Effect on Mood

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Robert Barrington

Cocoa is a rich source of a group of flavonoids called proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins may have particular physical and mental health effects. In terms of the latter, consumption of proanthocyanidins is associated with improvements in mood state. For example, in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Depression, Mood | Comments Off on Cocoa Polyphenols and Their Effect on Mood

Dark Chocolate As A Mood Enhancer?

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Robert Barrington

Dark chocolate is considered a healthy food. This relates to the high concentration of flavonoid phytochemicals it contains, in addition to its lower sugar content compared to milk and white chocolate. The flavonoids in chocolate are derived from the cocoa … Continue reading →

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The Beneficial Effects of Chocolate

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Robert Barrington

Chocolate is a confectionery food, most commonly made with cocoa and sugar. The sugar to cocoa ratio is pivotal in determining whether chocolate is a healthy food or not. For example, milk chocolate has a high sugar content and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Procyanidins | Comments Off on The Beneficial Effects of Chocolate

Phytocannabinoids

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Robert Barrington

Phytocannabinoids are a group of chemicals that are most often associated with the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa). The main phytocannabinoid in cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), although the plant actually contains over 100 phytocannabinoids. Studies suggest that THC is mainly responsible … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannabinoids, Chocolate, Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia, Polyphenols, Terpenes | Comments Off on Phytocannabinoids

Do People Lie About Their Sugar Intakes?

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Robert Barrington

Sugar is a known obesogenic food and mechanisms have been investigated to explain this process. In short, sugar is able to enter hepatic (liver) pathways that stimulate the formation of fatty acids, and these fatty acids accumulate in tissues and … Continue reading →

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Chocolate / Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Robert Barrington

Phytochemistry: Chocolate / Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contains a group of phytochemicals called N-acylethanolamines (NAEs). These can include N-linoleoyl ethanolamide, N-oleoylethanolamide and palmitoyl ethanolamide (PEA). These phytochemicals inhibit the breakdown of natural cannabinoid chemicals in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme … Continue reading →

Posted in Caffeine, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Methylxanthines, Phytochemistry, Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on Chocolate / Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

More Evidence That Chocolate May Be Good For You

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Robert Barrington

Plant rich diets may be beneficial because of the phytochemical nutrients they contain. Flavonoids are a group of phytochemicals that includes the flavonols, flavan-3-ols (also called catechins), flavones, flavanones, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. Flavonoids have been shown to possess health benefits … Continue reading →

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Is Chocolate a Weight Loss Food?

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Robert Barrington

The flavan-3-ols are a subgroup of flavonoids. The flavan-3-ols are found as monomeric units in green tea mainly as catechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin gallate. In black tea the main flavan-3-ols are theaflavins and thearubigins. The monomeric flavan-3-ols are … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Black Tea, Catechin, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Endothelial Dysfunction, Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Green Tea, Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, Tea | Comments Off on Is Chocolate a Weight Loss Food?

Flavan-3-ols And Insulin Resistance

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Robert Barrington

Flavan-3-ols are a subgroup of flavonoids. Flavan-3-ols are sometimes called catechins as they include the chemicals catechin and epicatechin and their gallate conjugates. Flavan-3-ols are found in high concentrations in tea as monomeric units, and their presence may explain the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Blood Pressure, Catechin, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Green Tea, Insulin Resistance, Tea | Comments Off on Flavan-3-ols And Insulin Resistance