Do you know the 5 myths about chocolate?

Childhood is the best time of life. It is when we make sweet memories, and some stay with us forever. For me, it is the treat I used to get from almost everyone around me. Especially those chocolates wrapped inside sparkling wrappers were out of this world. I used to devour those nonstop until my mom asked me to stop eating. When I looked at her, annoyed, she would say, “Baby! It will give you stomach worms and eat up all your teeth.” But now I wonder: Is chocolate really that harmful? There are many misconceptions surrounding chocolate. And in this article, we will learn about the 5 myths that make chocolate look bad or a wonder food.

Chocolate and its effect on health are the first of the 5 myths

Chocolate gives you stomach worm

Let us start with the myth I grew up listening to: that chocolate can give you stomach worms. Well, stomach worms don’t happen just by eating any food. The main causes of stomach worms are water and soil. Anything that comes into contact with these two elements can carry the worm. So, it is more prevalent in raw food items like vegetables and meat. Anyone eating raw meat or fish is very likely to get the worms. Even if your hands are the potential carriers. It can catch worms while working in the garden or field. But yes, stomach worms have fewer cases thanks to the proper sanitation and hygiene system.

Chocolate is bad for teeth

Next on my list is the power of chocolate to cause tooth cavities. There is one undeniable fact: sugar plays a role in cavities. Sugar is a sticky material that takes time to leave the mouth. The bacteria have enough time to feed on this sugar. It produces a lot of acids. The acids slowly feed on the enamel, causing tooth decay. Though chocolate has sugar, the chocolate fat comes to the rescue. It prevents the sugar from sticking to the teeth. The phosphates in cocoa protect the enamel.

Chocolate makes you obese

Chocolate does not make you obese. The polyphenols in cocoa help you lose weight. It helps burn that extra fat in the body. Especially the ones with high cocoa content, like dark chocolates. But it doesn’t mean that from the next day on, you switch to a chocolate diet. Instead, it is beneficial when you follow your regular diet and exercise. That too in moderation.

Chocolate gives you acne

When were your acne-filled days? It must be your teenage years. You still get those nasty things on your period days if you are a lady. Then acne is an event of your youth. It’s all the karma of hormones and has nothing to do with chocolate. Some other reasons do exist, like medication and cosmetics. Lastly, a diet with lots and lots of carbs. But most of the time, the hormone forces our body to trigger the sebaceous gland. These glands produce a lot of sebum and block the skin’s pores.

Chocolate and Aphrodisiac power, second of 5 myths

Cocoa as a health booster dates back to the Mayan period. The Mayans treated the cocoa drink as an elixir. The belief was passed on to the Aztecs years later. They believed that cocoa was a symbol of fertility and had aphrodisiac qualities. It was held in such high regard that it was used as currency to buy high-end products and services.

The cocoa beans were highly valued among royals. Once, it was said that Aztec king Montezuma II could afford to keep 500 wives and around 4000 concubines happy because of cocoa. He was rumored to drink 50 cups of chocolate daily to boost his libido. Even today, we greet our loved ones with chocolate. It is a way to show romance and celebrate love.

Chocolate is high in caffeine, the third of 5 myths

The caffeine comes from the cocoa solids and not from cocoa butter. So, chocolate with high cocoa solids tends to have high caffeine levels. About 100g of Dark chocolate with 70-85% of cocoa solids has 80mg of caffeine. Well, the number looks a bit high. So, the myth stands true?

Let us compare the values of coffee and tea to find out. Both are known for their stimulating effect, which is obviously due to the caffeine. One serving or a cup of tea (8 ounces or about 236 ml) contains 30 to 50mg of caffeine. The caffeine content of one cup of coffee (8 ounces or about 236 ml) is 80 to 100mg. On the other hand, one serving of 25g of dark chocolate contains only about 20mg. As per serving size, chocolate contains less caffeine than tea or coffee.

If you choose to fill your days with only dark chocolate, then surely your caffeine intake exceeds that of your coffee. But don't exceed the mark of 400 mg, which is 4 to 5 cups of coffee or 20 servings of dark chocolate. As per US FDA guidelines for healthy adults, taking up to 400mg of caffeine a day is safe. 

White chocolate is not chocolate, the fourth of 5 myths

Let us learn about milk and white chocolate terms to understand this myth. Milk chocolate has four primary ingredients, cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. So, when you add milk powder to any chocolate, it becomes milk chocolate. White chocolate is the distant cousin of milk chocolate. When it comes to white chocolate, cocoa butter, and milk solids take the place of cocoa solids entirely. So, technically, white chocolate is not chocolate. It does not contain any cocoa solids. It tastes milkier, not bitter.

Then how can you even call it chocolate? Well, white chocolate contains cocoa butter, which is part of cocoa. In most cases, chocolate has a good amount of cocoa butter. The butter makes the chocolate smooth and silky. Thus, butter is a vital part of chocolate. And only butter with some milk can make good chocolate. It took a long time for the US to accept this argument. By only 4th October 2002, white chocolate got its status. It became effective on 1st January 2004. But the status came with some guidance. White chocolate must have 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, 3.5% milk fat, and 55% sweetener.

70% chocolate is the best chocolate, the last of 5 myths

What do you think about dark chocolates? As per my observation, it tastes bitter and less sweet. Someone who likes bitterness will go for the dark ones. These dark ones usually contain high amounts of cocoa solids. Say about 70 to 85%.

In some cases, like pure chocolate, it can go up to 100%. But the number does not decide the quality of chocolate. There are many factors, such as:

• Where are the beans grown?
• The type of bean used for making the chocolate
• Roasting time; Perfectly roasted beans will have a sweet caramelized flavor.
• Conching time; The conching process involves heating the chocolate with continuous agitation. This process makes the chocolate smooth. It also removes the off-flavor.
• Tempering; The chocolate is laid in a layer to cool it down. As the fat cools, it forms crystals. This process adds the proper sheen and mouthfeel to the chocolate.
• We cannot rule out the composition. But cocoa butter, sugars, and other fillers are as important as cocoa solids.

Excellent or lousy, myth or no myth, chocolate always holds a special place in our lives. It creates moments; one bite can take you back to childhood memories. As adults, we say no to chocolate, but deep down, a child still wants a treat. So go ahead, treat yourself. Remember, good things in moderation are not bad.