1、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

2、. - 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 cla

3、im 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 Corts, 1519,Chocolate,Comes from seed (bean) cacao trees Scientific name is T

4、heobroma 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

5、 of Cocoa,Pods Harvested Beans removed from shell, fermented and dried in the sun Cleaned Roasted Ground,Processing of Chocolate,Nibs 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 prod

6、ucts,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,Source: ,Source: Chocolate Manufa

7、cturers Association, ,Chocolate Labels,Chocolate Labels,Health Benefits before 20th 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 Bene

8、fits,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 Chocolat

9、e,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/Flavano

10、ls,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,Ste

11、aric 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?,Choc

12、olate 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 k

13、cal (45 kcal/square) Cocoa 5 g = 1 Tbsp = 10 kcal 50 g = 10 Tbsp = 100 kcal Source:,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

14、, 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 f

15、oods 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?,EXTRA Slides On Free Radical activity and antioxidants,Basis of Free Radical Activity,Many diseases, including cancer, diabete

16、s, 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 radical

17、s 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 b

18、y 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 & Activity,A second factor that increases activity is the side chai

19、n. A side chain with a double bond has greater activity because the double bond con-tributes to the stability of the compound,Flavonoids,Have antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and enzyme altering capabilities Includes flavonols, flavanols, anthocyanins, catechins, and isoflavones Known as polyphenolic

20、 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