Chocolate A Functional Food?

Julie Albrecht, Ph.D.

Professor and Extension Food Specialist

Marilynn Schnepf, Ph.D., Professor

Carol Schwarz, Extension Educator

‘Twill make old women young and fresh,Create new motions of the flesh.And cause them long for you know what,If they but taste of chocolate. - James Wadworth (1768-1844; A History of the Nature and Quality of Chocolate)

Chocolate - A Functional Food?

Program Goal: Participants will increase their knowledge about functional foods using chocolate as an example.

Program Objectives:- Know what a functional food is- Know what a health claim is for

functional foods- Know the health benefits of chocolate

“The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food.” - Hernando Cortés, 1519

Chocolate• Comes from seed (bean) cacao trees

• Scientific name is Theobroma cacao (Which means – “Drink of the Gods”)

Producers of Cocoa• Grown 15 degrees north or south of the equator• 70% grown in West Africa with Ivory Coast and Ghana largest producers• Brazil and Ecuador also large producers• Takes 5 years for trees to produce• Most produced by small farmers

Producers of Cocoa• Pods Harvested

• Beans removed from shell, fermented and dried in the sun• Cleaned• Roasted • Ground

Processing of ChocolateProcessing of ChocolateNibs ground to cocoa paste

Paste Pressed

Cocoa butter Cocoa powder

Conching and Tempering

Mixed and ingredients added (Milk Sugar Flavors Nuts, etc)Molded, Made into products

Grinding

Grinding

Tempering

Conching

Processing of Chocolate

Types of Chocolate• Unsweetened Chocolate, Bitter Chocolate, Baking

Chocolate

• Dark chocolate

• Bittersweet, Semisweet Chocolate

• Milk Chocolate

• “Dutch” Chocolate

• White “Chocolate”

Consumption of Chocolate Consumption of Chocolate Chocolate Consumption Kilos per person 2005

Belgium 10.74 Austria 8.33

Switzerland 10.14 Denmark 7.13

UK 9.94 Sweden 6.97

Norway 9.19 Finland 6.43

Germany 8.96 USA 5.58

Source: Adapted from CAOBISCO

Source: www.herseys.com

Lipid Composition of Cocoa Butter

3%

36%

26%

35%

Linoleic

OleicStearic

Palmitic

Source: Chocolate Manufacturers Association, www.chocolateusa.org

Chocolate Labels

Chocolate Labels

Health Benefits Health Benefits before 20before 20thth Century Century

• Comforted the liver• Aided in digestion• Made on happy and strong• Stimulated the kidney• Treatment of anemia, tuberculosis, fever, gout, heart pain• Strengthening the heart

Current Health BenefitsCurrent Health Benefits

Functional Food- a food that contains physiologically active compounds that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition

Nutraceutical- physiologically active components in food that have health-promoting, disease-preventive, or medical properties

Physiologically Active Components in Chocolate

• Flavonoids (Flavanols)• Stearic Acid (fatty acid)• Methylxanthines

• Caffeine• Theobromine

• Magnesium

Examples of Nutraceutical

Flavonoid compounds - act as antioxidants:•Reduce free radicals produced by oxidation•Lower LDL cholesterol•Reduce blood pressure•Reduce platelet aggregation

Flavonoids/Flavanols

Chocolate and cocoa flavanols appear to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) via several mechanisms, including:

● Reducing serum total and LDL cholesterol● Lowering blood pressure● Reducing platelet adhesion/aggregation● Increasing antioxidant defenses● Decreasing inflammation

Chocolate

Stearic Acid (fatty acid)

• Neutral effect on blood cholesterol • Did not adversely affect LDL- cholesterol levels

Magnesium

• Low Dietary Magnesium – Craving ?• Low Dietary Magnesium – risk factor for hypertension, stroke and cardiac arrythmias – Controversial

Caffiene/Theobromine

• Chocolate Addiction/Craving????

Chocolate Myths

• Allergies• Cavities• Cravings/mood• Migraines• Acne

Dose for Health Benefits

• Cardiovascular disease – Cocoa, 5 g = 1 Tbsp to 50 g = ~10 Tbsp – Dark chocolate = ~7 g to 40 g

• Weight modification – Dark chocolate = 90 to 100 kcal/d

Food-Based Health Benefits

• Dark chocolate– 2 tasting squares (20 g)– 90 kcal (45 kcal/square)

• Cocoa– 5 g = 1 Tbsp = 10 kcal– 50 g = 10 Tbsp = 100 kcal

Source:http://www.hersheys.com/home.asp

Functional Foods Health Claim

Example of one FDA-approved health claim:

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and reduced risk of some cancers

Many epidemiologic studies have shown that diets high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds and certain vegetable fats and low in calories, meat and animal fat reduce the risk of some common cancers.

Recommendations• Variety of plant-based foods in the diet can provide a wealth of potentially beneficial phytochemicals (components)• Wide variety of flavonoid-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages should be an integral part of a healthy diet.• Energy density – consideration on how much chocolate to include in diet

Questions?Questions?

EXTRA SlidesOn Free Radical activity and antioxidants

Basis of Free Radical Activity

Many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, aging, are the result of free radical damage and oxidation

Many nutraceuticals are classified as antioxidants, which are compounds that can scavenge or neutralize free radicals

(Free radicals have lost electrons making them very reactive)

Free Radicals

If the amount of free radicals exceed the amount of antioxidants, the free radical will react with and damage other molecules

If the “other molecules” are DNA, mutations can occur- if unchecked can lead to cancer

Basis of Antioxidant Activity

Antioxidants act to control damage caused by free radicals. A primary mechanism used by antioxidants is hydrogen donation

R. + AH → RH + A.

Structure & Activity

What structural components have been found to be important for activity?

First need hydrogen that can be donated without damaging the parent molecule

Structure & ActivityA second factor that increases activity is the

side chain.

A side chain with a double bond has greater activity because the double bond con-tributes to the stability of the compound

FlavonoidsHave antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and

enzyme altering capabilities

Includes flavonols, flavanols, anthocyanins, catechins, and isoflavones

Known as polyphenolic compounds

Flavonoids• Reduce platelet aggregation • Suppress pro-inflammatory mediators, enhance anti-inflammatory mediator (nitric oxide)• Antioxidant effect – protective effect against LDL oxidation, immune function• Cancer – limited studies

Catechins(Specific Flavanoids)

Strong antioxidants associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer

(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate has very high free radical scavenging activity and is capable of interrupting signals needed for survival of cancer cells

Food Sources of CatechinsGreen tea, black tea, berries, and cocoa

Antioxidant Effects• ORAC value – Oxygen radical absorbance capacity • ORAC is a measure of the antioxidant power of a food • Flavonoid-rich foods are not equal

ORAC Value for Select FoodsORAC units/serving

Dark Chocolate 9080Blueberries 8708Cocoa (natural) 8260Raspberries 6895Pecans 5382Cranberries 5201Cherries 4705Walnuts 4062Milk chocolate 3200Grapes 1764Almonds 1336

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/index.html