Infinitely CRAZY: Chocolateism

Friday, April 6, 2007

Chocolateism

There are about 5 to 10 milligrams of caffeine in one ounce of bittersweet chocolate, 5 milligrams in milk chocolate, and 10 milligrams in a six-ounce cup of cocoa; by contrast, there are 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine in an eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee. You would have to eat more than a dozen Hershey Bars, for example, to get the amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee.

Chocolate has great value as an energy source. A single chocolate chip provides sufficient food energy for an adult to walk 150 feet; hence, it would take about 35 chocolate chips to go a mile, or 875,000 for an around-the-world hike.

Although chocolate is not an aphrodisiac, as the ancient Aztecs believed, chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. Hence, heartbreak and loneliness are great excuses for chocolate overindulgence.

It is reported that Napoleon carried chocolate with him on his military campaigns, and always ate it when he needed quick energy.

While solid chocolate certainly is high in fat, just over half the calories in bittersweet, semisweet, and milk chocolate come from fat. And even though the cocoa butter in chocolate is mostly saturated fat, studies have shown that it doesn't appear to raise blood cholesterol.

It's a common myth that chocolate aggravates acne. Experiments conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Naval Academy found that consumption of chocolate - even frequent daily dietary intake - had no effect on the incidence of acne. Professional dermatologists today do not link acne with diet.

Ten percent of U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of iron is found in one ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa.

Lecithin is an emulsifier used to reduce the viscosity of chocolate. It serves to lessen the amount of cocoa butter required in the manufacturing process.

Chocolate can be lethal to dogs. Theobromine, an ingredient that stimulates the cardiac muscle and the central nervous system, causes chocolate's toxicity. About two ounces of milk chocolate can be poisonous for a 10-lb puppy.

Chocolate syrup was used for blood in the famous 45 second shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "Psycho" which actually took 7 days to shoot.

Chocolate has over 500 flavor components, more than twice the amount found in strawberry and vanilla.

posted by The Crazy King of Clowns @ 6:41 AM

4 Comments:

Fatima Mohamed said…

hmmmm interesting...
Kilroy_60 said…

I will happily start with white chocolate - which of course isn't REALLY chocolate - and work my way through to the darkest of the darks.

8-)

I enjoyed the Carnival of Craziness recently. The next Gonzo carnival will be posted soon. It would be great if you could give us a hand promoting it.

I'm offering some "paintings" I create using www.JacksonPollock.org in addition to a traditional banner. Drop me a line I'll happily send you one or you can pick one up from my site.

Look forward to hear from you soon!
The Rock Chick said…

a post about chocolate? right up my alley!!!!! white, milk, dark..doesn't matter to me, I love them all!!!!
The Rock Chick said…

a post about chocolate? right up my alley!!!!! white, milk, dark..doesn't matter to me, I love them all!!!!

Friday, April 6, 2007

Chocolateism

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