chocolate

History
Christopher Columbus (1502) was the first explorer to encounter
with cocoa beans from the New World. Brought to Europe, they have
not enjoyed much attention, because nobody knew how to use them.
In 1519 the conquistador Hernando Cortez discovered that
Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, drank a cocoa drink made from seeds,
called "chocolatl". Montezuma drank nearly fifty cups a day.
Hernando Cortez He's served the royal drink, which he found a little
bitter for his taste.
The Spaniards added sugar cane and have enriched vanilla and
cinnamon flavor using. In addition, they found that the drink is tasty
served hot.
In the nineteenth century there have been two important changes
in the history of chocolate. In 1847 an English company created a
technological process solidifiere chocolate, and two years later, the
Swede Daniel Peter has sought to add a new ingredient: milk.
Currently, milk chocolate is the most sought assortment, dark
chocolate being appreciated only 5-10% of the consumers of this
product.

Preparation
To make chocolate,farmers add water to the beans
and wrap them in banana leaves to ferment for six
day.Then they are left to dry in the sun.This creates the
chocolate flavour.The coca beans are then roasted and
ground into a thick brown liquid.Milk ,cream,sugar and
flavouring are added.
 Health effects
Positive
Cocoa or dark chocolate may positively affect the
circulatory system.
There is some evidence that eating chocolate can
help reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular
problems[68] and also reduce blood pressure in both
overweight and normal adults.
Chocolate may boost cognitive abilities.
Dark chocolate may lower cholesterol levels in
adults. Although basic research has provided
preliminary evidence that polyphenols in chocolate
might inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol,few results
from clinical trials are conclusive about such an effect
in humans.
According to one study, chocolate consumption
correlates with lower body mass index.
Cocoa beans contain a large amount of chemicals
called flavonoids. Some scientists believe that these
flavonoids can be used to create natural supplements to
ease diarrhea symptoms. Dark chocolate contains high
concentrations of cocoa and may offer mild relief.
 Negative
Chocolate is believed to cause heartburn because
of one of its constituents, theobromine, relaxes the
oesophageal sphincter muscle, hence permitting
stomach acidic contents to enter into the oesophagus.
Theobromine is also toxic to many animals because they
are unable to metabolize it (see theobromine poisoning).
The unconstrained consumption of large
quantities of any energy-rich food, such as chocolate,
without a corresponding increase in activity, increases
the risk of obesity. Raw chocolate is high in cocoa
butter, a fat which is removed during chocolate refining,
then added back in varying proportions during the
manufacturing process. Manufacturers may add other
fats, sugars, and milk as well, all of which increase the
caloric content of chocolate.
Chocolate and cocoa contain moderate to high
amounts of oxalate,which can cause some health
concerns particularly for individuals at risk for kidney
stones.
Research on elderly people showed chocolate
might cause osteoporosis.