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Karger
Gazette
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. Karger
Gazette
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No. 68
. . . Chocolate
. . . Published November 2005

. . .
. . . In this issue: Louis E. Grivetti A Cultural History of Chocolate

. . . Douglas Taren,
Kristen Morris
Chocolate, Brain Metabolism,
and Mood

. . . Anne Blonstein Camille Bloch

. . .
. . .
. . . From Aphrodisiac to Health Food:
. . .
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A Cultural History
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of Chocolate
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Chocolate

L ou i s E . Gr ive tt i
. . . University of California at Davis

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C hocolate is more than a confection, more than a had flourished in the valley
. . . dessert, more than a delightful pleasure. When and constructed their capi-
tal, Tenochtitlan, on two
drunk as cocoa or eaten as a solid bar of chocolate, con-
. . . sumers share a common connection through a vast
islands in Lake Texcoco. By
the 16th century, the Aztecs
. . . spectrum of time. Theobroma cacao, the tree that bears
the pods and beans that are ultimately made into chocolate, modern Mexico as new immigrants
had installed a strong eco-
nomic, military, and political pres-
. . . was probably domesticated initially in the western regions of arrived from the north and poured
into the central valley of Mexico.
ence within the valley. Tenochtitlan at
this time was an extraordinary archi-
the Amazon basin about 4000 years ago. Another suggestion is
. . . that domestication and human use of cacao first took place
These immigrants, the Toltecs, built
the astonishing pyramids located at
tectural achievement, with a popula-
tion variously estimated by scholars
. . . within a geographical area that today encompasses the modern
states of Tabasco, Oaxaca, and Chiapas in southern Mexico,
Teotihuacan. According to Toltec reli-
gious texts, the god Quetzalcatl
as between 250 350,000, making the
capital one of the largest cities in the
. . . northern Guatemala, and Belize. planted the first earthly cacao tree in
a field at the site of Tula to honor
world.
The Mexica/Aztecs loved choco-
. . . The story of cacao and chocolate be-
gins with the early Olmecs who lived
ferentiated by the ancients into two
primary types: the term quauhcaca-
good, hard-working humans who
lived and toiled there.
late. More correctly, the Mexica nobil-
ity and male soldiers loved chocolate.
. . . in Mesoamerica more than 3000
years ago. The story extends through
huatl represented the best-quality
beans that were used as a form of
The Toltecs, themselves, experi-
enced cultural upheaval in the 14th
Cacao/chocolate was not available to
all the Mexica and others living in the
. . . the 16th-century Spanish conquest
and colonization of Central America,
currency, while the word tlacacahuatl
applied to lower-quality beans used
century as their world was disrupted
by the arrival of people known as the
central valley. It was served as a bev-
erage only to adult males, specifically
. . . when frothy cacao beverages pre-
pared at the court of King Montezu-
to prepare beverages. The English
word cacao is derived linguistically
Mexica (Aztecs). Mexica warriors
subdued the indigenous tribes that
priests, government officials, military
officers, distinguished warriors, and
. . . ma were served to Corts and his
troops. Chocolate facts and myths are
from the Nahuatl (Aztec language)
words cacahuatl or xoxocatl, gener-
. . . linked with the spread of this bever-
age into Europe and North America
ally translated as a beverage pre-
pared from cacao and water.
. . . during the late 16th and early 17th
centuries. Today, in the 21st century, How cacao came
. . . consumers welcome chocolate in a
variety of ways, whether as a primary
to humans
In ancient Mayan texts cacao has a
. . . meal item or as a dessert, but always
as a delightful pleasure.
divine origin it is truly a gift from
the gods. Xmucane, one of the cre-
. . . Linguistic specialists, among
them Martha Macri and her students
ation gods, invented nine beverages,
and from these, humans were formed
. . . at the University of California, Davis,
have suggested that chocolate-related
who were able to feed themselves. Of
these nine beverages, three were
. . . terms probably originated with the
early Olmec civilization, passed to the
made with cacao and corn. Then
came a time when historical events Corts being greeted by Mexica on his way
Fig. 1.

. . . Mayans, and then to the Mexica/Az-

tecs. Beans from cacao trees were dif-
shifted geographically from the Ma-
yan lowlands and southern regions of
to Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital
[Spanish manuscript, Muse de lhomme, Paris].

. . .
. . .
. . .
 Karger
Gazette 2

sometimes to the bravest enemy cap- enced by Mexica government admin- and a specific event whereby choco-
tives before sacrifice. The Mexica held istrators. late was first introduced to Europe,
that cacao/chocolate beverages were The Florentine Codex was com- food historians always debate firsts
intoxicating and stimulating and, piled by the priest Bernardino de Sa- and the so-called first arrival of
therefore, not suitable for women and hagn who arrived in New Spain in chocolate in Europe is a subject of
children. 1529. While many priests associated conjecture to say nothing of myth
with the early decades of Spanish co- (fig. 3). Chocolate may have been in-
Arrival of the Spanish lonial rule in Mexico (or New Spain) troduced to Europe via the Spanish
Just as the Mexica had replaced the viewed local inhabitants as savages, court in 1544, when Dominican friars
Toltecs, a new invading force changed and their customs, traditions, and lit- are said to have brought Mayan no-
the culture of the New World. Spanish erary documents as ungodly, Sa- bles to meet Prince Philip. I suspect,
expeditionary forces arrived on the hagn did not. He was curious about though, that this oft-cited statement
eastern shore of what is now modern Mexica medical knowledge and is probably more allegorical than pre-
Mexico in 1519, an event that initiat- sought to learn as much as he could cise. It is correct to say, however, that
ed revolutionary regional changes about their social traditions and his- within a century of the arrival of the
and new chapters in the complex his- tory. Sahagns Mexica informants Spanish in Mexico, both culinary and
tory of chocolate. Hernando Corts reported a vast array of knowledge medicinal uses of chocolate had
landed near modern Vera Cruz. After that he dutifully recorded and pre- spread from Mexico to Spain, France,
burning his ships he led his troops served for posterity. Without his labor England, and elsewhere within West-
inland toward the Mexica capital and efforts to preserve this informa- ern Europe (entering through Spain
where his army was received by King tion, 21st-century scholars would and Portugal) and probably North
Montezuma (fig. 1). Corts, himself, have relatively few documents to America as well (entering through
and several of his literate officers work with and interpret when at- the Spanish settlement at St. Augus-
wrote accounts of their march and tempting to understand and recon- tine, Florida). Throughout Europe,
documented events of the Mexica struct the precolonial era. chocolate was considered an exotic Fig. 3. An allegorical picture of the transfer of chocolate from the New to the

conquest. Several passages reflect di- The information within the Flor- beverage in competition with coffee Old World: a Native American presenting chocolate to Neptune
[A. Colmenero de Ledesma (1631): Curioso Tratado de la Naturaleza y Calidad
rect observation of cacao-sellers in entine Codex is critical to under- and tea and consumers readily de-
del Chocolate; with permission, University of California, Davis].
Tenochtitlan, while others describe standing the early medical-related veloped their passion and desire for
behavior at dinners hosted by Monte- history of chocolate. The document this dark, strangely exciting drink.
zuma where chocolate was served: reports that Mexica respondents In England chocolate houses emerged
From time to time the men of Mon- warned against excessive drinking of as the rage of the day, where wealthy,
tezumas guard brought him, in cups of cacao prepared from unroasted powerful Englishmen debated poli- Spain, and elsewhere, my research nilla were used by the Mexica as pur-
pure gold, a drink made from the co- beans, but praised it if used in mod- tics and global affairs over steaming team has identified more than 100 gatives and that chocolate beverages
coa-plant, which they said he took be- eration. They reported that drinking cups of hot chocolate (fig. 4a). Indeed, medical uses for chocolate prescribed served hot doubled as powerful laxa-
fore visiting his wives. . . I saw them large quantities of green cacao made the so-called Queens Lane Coffee by physicians during the past 475 tives.
bring in fifty large jugs of chocolate, all consumers confused and deranged, House on High Street, Oxford, began years [1]. Jos de Acosta (1604) wrote that
frothed up, of which he would drink a but if used reasonably, the beverage serving both coffee and chocolate in Presented here is a brief taste of chili was sometimes added to choco-
little (Bernal Daz del Castillo: 1560).* both invigorated and refreshed. An- 1650 and still serves both beverages these rich chocolate-related passages late beverages and that eating choco-
This passage by Bernal Daz is other passage from the Florentine today in the 21st century (fig. 4b). from selected historical monographs. late paste was good for stomach
the first documentation in a Europe- Codex reveals that cacao was mixed On inspection, these samples reveal disorders.
an language to associate chocolate with various medicinal products and Chocolate as food that chocolate products were used to Santiago de Valverde Turices
drinking with sexual activity (but used to offset or mask the flavor of ill- chocolate as medicine treat a myriad of human disorders: (1624) concluded that chocolate
would not be the last). Missing from tasting drugs. Sahagns informants From the 16th through early 19th Francisco Hernndez (1577) drunk in great quantities was benefi-
the earliest Spanish documentation, also reported that a local product century, numerous European travel wrote that pure cacao paste prepared cial for treatment of chest ailments,
however, is any suggestion that choc- known as quinametli (identified as accounts and medical texts docu- as a beverage treated fever and liver but if drunk in small quantities was
olate was consumed both as a food bones of ancient people called gi- mented the presumed merits and disease. He also mentioned that toast- a satisfactory medicine for stomach
and as a medicine two roles that ants) was blended with chocolate medicinal value of chocolate. Using ed, ground cacao beans mixed with disorders.
ultimately dominated later European and used to treat bloody dysentery. library holdings of the Library of resin were effective against dysentery Colmenero de Ledesma (1631)
descriptions of this interesting food. Congress, Washington, DC, the Brit- and that chocolate beverages were reported that cacao preserved consum-
Chocolate arrives ish Museum, and the University of commonly prescribed to thin patients ers health, made them corpulent, im-
Medical uses of in Europe California, as well as translations of in order for them to gain flesh. proved their complexions, and made
chocolate While many recent texts and websites original hand-written documents lo- Agustin Farfan (1592) recorded their dispositions more agreeable. He
in Mexica texts provide readers with a precise year cated at various archives in Mexico, that chili peppers, rhubarb, and va- wrote that drinking chocolate incited
While the earliest Spanish accounts love-making, led to conception in
do not report medicinal uses for women, and facilitated delivery. He
chocolate, the written record is not also claimed that chocolate aided di-
silent. Indigenous Mexica medical gestion and cured tuberculosis.
views of cacao/chocolate are recorded Thomas Gage (1648) described a
in several documents, among them medicinal chocolate prepared with
the Codex Barberini, Latin 241, com- black pepper used to treat cold liver.
monly known as the Badianus Manu- Gage wrote that chocolate mixed with
script (1552) and the Florentine Co- cinnamon increased urine flow and
dex (1590). While both manuscripts was an effective way to treat kidney
postdate Spanish colonial contact, disorders.
they were compiled by Spanish priests Henry Stubbe (1662) wrote that
who obtained the information from consumers should drink chocolate
Mexica respondents, so the views beverages once or twice each day to
probably reflect earlier, pre-European- relieve tiredness caused by strenuous
contact behavior. business activities. He reported that
The Badianus Manuscript, writ- ingesting cacao oil was an effective
ten in both Nahuatl/Aztec and Latin, treatment for the Fire of St. Anthony
is a Mexica herbal that identifies (i.e., ergot poisoning). Stubbe also de-
more than 100 medical conditions scribed chocolate-based concoctions
common to the central valley, and mixed with Jamaica pepper used to
their treatments. The manuscript treat menstrual disorders, and other
contains a striking color painting of a chocolate preparations blended with
cacao tree among the healing plants vanilla to strengthen the heart and to
identified in the text (fig. 2). There is promote digestion.
Fig. 2.On the left, the cacao tree,
also a passage describing how cacao William Hughes (1672) reported
Theobroma cacao, from the
flowers were strewn in perfumed that cough could be treated by drink-
16th-century Badianus manuscript,
baths to reduce the fatigue experi- a Latin Aztec herbal [CONACULTA-INAH-
ing chocolate blended with cinnamon
MEX. Reproduced with permission of or nutmeg. He wrote that chocolate
* For readers who would like full reference the National Institute of Anthropology nourished the body, induced sleep, and
citations please visit the Karger Gazette and History, Mexico City]. Compare cured the pustules, tumors, and swell-
website at www.karger.com/gazette with the real tree illustrated above. ings commonly experienced by hardy
. . Karger
Gazette 3
. .
. .
. . sea-men who had long been kept from
a diet of fresh foods, symptoms akin

. . to scurvy.
Sylvestre Dufour (1685) wrote
. . . .
. . that medicinal chocolate commonly
contained anise-seed as an ingredient,
. . . .
. . and that such mixtures were used to
treat bladder and kidney disorders. He
. . . .
. . described a type of medical chocolate
blended with achiote (Bixa orellana)
. . . .
. . that produced a product of a blood-red
color, used to reduce the fever of
. . . .
. . love.
Nicolas de Blgny (1687) report-
. . . .
. . ed that chocolate mixed with vanilla
syrup soothed lung inflammations

. . and lessened the ferocity of cough. He

identified medicinal chocolates that
b

. . contained as ingredients syrup of

coins, drops of gold tincture, and oil
Henry Rowlandson watercolor of an
Fig. 4. a.

. . of amber that treated indigestion and

heart palpitations.
18th-century chocolate house [Museum of London].
b. The Queens Lane Coffee House, Oxford, UK

. . De Qulus (1718) wrote that

drinking chocolate was nourishing a
[photo: L. Grivetti].

. . and essential to good health. He said

that drinking chocolate repaired ex-

. . hausted spirits, preserved health, and

prolonged the lives of old men. Further,
(from anemia, angina, and asthma to
wasting, weakness, and worms), its
follow chocolate consumption, and
with chocolates high energy value,
distracted, whereupon the person
suffering from espanto/susto could be
ucts are placed on ofrendas (offering
tables/altars) erected at homes and

. . he claimed that an ounce of chocolate

contained as much nourishment as a
long history in medical treatment
has been a controversial one. While
the concept that chocolate could be a
galactagogue (milk producer) can at
treated and returned to health. Else-
where in the El Istmo region of east-
local cemeteries (fig. 5). Chocolate in
either solid or liquid form is offered
pound of beef. 21st-century physicians would not least be considered. ern Oaxaca, residents told us that to the memory of dead children on
Antonio Lavedan (1796) claimed claim that chocolate cured cancer, But chocolate, of course, is not a chocolate beverages were commonly the night of October 31, the day spe-
that chocolate was beneficial but only gout, jaundice, rheumatism, scurvy, panacea for all of lifes ills. Countering served to children at the morning cifically known as Dia de los Angelitos
if drunk in the morning, and he snake bite, or syphilis (as claimed in the well-documented positive and meal as a type of talisman that pro- (Day of the Little Angels). Deceased
strongly cautioned against afternoon the past), examination of the histori- potentially positive medical effects of tected children against the stings of adults are honored with chocolate of-
use of this beverage. He wrote that cal medical accounts reveals five con- chocolate consumption identified in scorpions, bees, or wasps. ferings on November 1 or Todos San-
chocolate alone with no other food sistent, reasonable, medical-related historical documents, these same The most intriguing uses of choc- tos (All Saints Day). Families visit the
could keep consumers robust and uses: texts offer other claims that may be olate in Mexico are ancient cultural cemeteries at night where they gather
healthy for many years, and remarked 1. For emaciated patients in order discounted: effective against ergot rituals blended with a veneer of in a family atmosphere to think about
that drinking chocolate prolonged to restore weight certainly an im- poisoning (claimed by Stubbe in Christianity. The celebration called and remember the deceased. During
life. portant treatment for patients with 1662); effective in delaying the Dia de la Muertos (Day of the Dead) the evening watch, family members
Brillat-Savarin (1825) wrote wasting diseases such as tubercu- growth of white hair in men (claimed lasts from October 31 through No- drink hot chocolate.
that chocolate was a wholesome, losis. by Lavedan in 1796); effective in re- vember 2. At this time chocolate plays The Christian faithful at Oaxaca
agreeable food, nourishing, easily di- 2. To stimulate the nervous systems ducing tumors/pustules (claimed by a central role in the cultural/social use chocolate in other religious cele-
gested, and an antidote to the inconve- of feeble patients, especially those Hughes in 1672). life of Mexican families. During Dia brations as well. December 25 initi-
niences ascribed to coffee. He claimed suffering from apathy, exhaustion, or de la Muertos, the living must fulfill ates the Twelve Days of Christmas, a
that chocolate was best suited to those lassitude an action which we might Recent chocolate-related their obligations to the deceased, a period that extends through the New
who exercised their brains, especially now attribute to the theobromine and fieldwork responsibility known as guelaguetza Year and ends on January 6 (Epipha-
clergymen, lawyers, and travelers, and caffeine in chocolate. Throughout the centuries chocolate (reciprocity). Chocolate is prepared ny: the traditional date for the arrival
he recommended a concoction of ca- 3. To calm, soothe, and tranquilize has been used as both a food and locally as balls, tablets, and as hot of the Magi at Bethlehem). During
cao mixed with amber dust as a treat- patients identified as over-stimulat- medicine in many regions of the beverages that are exchanged among the day and evening of January 5,
ment for the ill-effects of hangover. ed, especially those suffering from world. Since 2000, our team has con- friends and relatives. Foods, bever- homes of relatives and friends are
Auguste Saint-Arroman (1846) strenuous labor or serious mental ducted fieldwork in selected coun- ages, and especially chocolate prod- visited and guests are served a festi-
reported that chocolate while suited activity here, it is the pleasurable tries of Central America and the Ca-
to both the aged and weak was dan- taste and flavor sensations, coupled ribbean where we have sought infor-
gerous if drunk by the young. He iden- with a relaxing effect, which would mation on culinary, health, and
tified a recipe for medical chocolate
that included iron filings, used to treat
produce the mellow mood.
4. To improve digestion and elimi-
medical uses as reported by tradi-
tional populations.
.......
chlorosis in women.
Saint-Arromans monograph on
nation. Chocolate was said to
strengthen, calm, or soothe stagnant
Mexico. In the geographical re-
gion of the Mixtec Alta in the Central
.......
chocolate is intriguing for other rea-
sons. He provided a recipe whereby
stomachs, stimulate the kidneys and
hasten urine flow, improve bowel
Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, curanderos
(traditional healers) informed us that
.......
chocolate was prepared from roasted
cacao, sugar, and aromatic substanc-
function, soften stools, and even cure
or reduce hemorrhoids.
chocolate beverages were prescribed
to cure bronchitis. In this region
.......
es, such as ginger, pimento, and
cloves, and sometimes vanilla and
5. To bind medicinal ingredients
and to mask the flavors of ill-tasting
curanderos use cacao beans to treat
the medical condition known as es-
.......
cinnamon. He also wrote that a com-
mon form of Spanish chocolate in-
drugs, uses which are reflected in the
modern view that a little bit of choc-
panto or susto, an illness thought to
result when persons have been star- Fig. 5. Day of the Dead offering table, Mexico
.......
cluded the bulb of the root of arachis
or earth pistachio, better known in
olate makes the medicine go down.
Although not consistent through
tled or frightened. The treatment for
espanto/susto reflects the high im-
[photo: S. Escarcega]. .......
English as the peanut (Arachis hypo-
gaea). Peanuts, domesticated initially
time, there are also intriguing his-
torical accounts that suggest eating
portance played by cacao in Mixtec
society and the value placed upon
.......
in the Americas (perhaps Brazil),
were taken to Europe and initiated
or drinking chocolate could/would
have had a positive effect on patients
cacao beans. Both patient and healer
return to the exact location where the
.......
there as a field crop. The Saint-Arro-
man account represents one of the
beyond merely the placebo effect and
pleasure of consuming this food.
fright occurred: the curandero brings
quantities of tobacco, bowls of fer-
.......
earliest reports to document the
blending of chocolate and peanuts,
Hughes wrote in 1672 that drinking
chocolate alleviated asthma spasms;
mented beverages, herbs, and cacao
beans. The healer feeds the earth by
.......
whether as medicine or as food, a
blend that today in the 21st century
Stubbe wrote in 1662 that drinking
chocolate increased breast milk pro-
planting cacao beans as a form of
payment to the forces that caused the
.......
represents a favorite combination for
millions of consumers globally.
duction; and Colmenero de Ledesma
suggested in 1631 that drinking
disease. The explanation given us was
that by restoring wealth to the earth
.......
While chocolate has been pre- chocolate could expel kidney stones. (in pre-Spanish times, cacao beans
scribed in past centuries to patients Modern science has identified the va- served as a type of money), the evil Chocolate for sale on an Oaxacan market
Fig. 6.
suffering from alpha to omega sodilatation and diuretic effects that that caused the fright would become [photo: S. Escarcega].
 Karger
Gazette 4

......................
...................... the mind through a myriad of plea-
surable sensations as the flavor and
...................... taste sensations flood the mouth,
stimulating memories of the con-
...................... sumers childhood, youth, and adult
years. It is not the same with other
Chocolate: good
...................... foods: memories of broccoli, liver,
and turnips hold no such places in for the heart?
...................... the pantheon of great food-related
experiences, but memories of choco-
...................... late allow consumers to recall won-
derful days and pleasurable events.
The last three years have seen a
spate of studies and articles and

...................... If there is a true history of choc-

olate, it will remain forever elusive,
much accompanying discussion
on the possible cardiovascular ben-

...................... the threads too long, too tangled to

ever fully unravel. The traces extend
ets of eating chocolate, speci-
cally dark chocolate. In various

...................... through most of the fields in the hu-

manities (art, literature, music, poet-
controlled studies, consumers of
dark chocolate have shown such

...................... ry, theater), the social sciences (an-

thropology, economics, geography,
benets as lowered blood pressure,
reduced oxidation of low-density

...................... history, psychology, sociology), as

well as the agricultural and biologi-
lipoproteins and reduced platelet
aggregation.

...................... cal, medical, even physical sciences

(too many to identify). But maybe
These ndings are being attrib-
uted to the presence in cocoa of
that very mystery tempting our re- a certain group of avonoids, the
Early 20th-century posters for
Fig. 7.
search together with the endless hu- avan-3-ols. These chemicals, in-
chocolate.
man inventiveness in its use, will en- cluding ()-epicatechin, (+)-cate-
sure that chocolate remains one of the chin, and procyanidins, have pro-
most intriguing foods on this planet. nounced in vivo antioxidative prop-
erties to which the benecial effects
Acknowledgements are being ascribed. The stimulation
I would like to thank the following col- of nitric oxide production is another
leagues and students who contributed to possible route for their effects, and
val food called La Rosca de Reys (The short-term visits were given wish A number of books have been the research and field studies that are men- they have also been suggested to
Three Kings Bread). This bread is lists to fulfill and bring back to published recently on chocolate-re- tioned in this article: modulate certain cell-signaling
Dr. Martha Macri and her student Di- pathways and gene expression, and
eaten with hot chocolate, prepared Madera, items that included Oaxaca- lated botany, economics, history, lore,
ane Barker who summarized Mayan lan- to inuence cell membrane proper-
using water or milk. A tiny figure of style chocolate (fig. 6). American- and medical/nutritional properties guage cacao/chocolate-related terminology;
the infant Jesus is baked inside the style chocolates, widely available [25]. These books are good places to ties and receptor function.
Dr. Sylvia Escarcega who provided the in-
bread. Whoever receives the doll in throughout the community, were begin. Further, those interested in The positive effects seem to be
formation on Day of the Dead and medici-
their slice is obligated to organize eaten but not considered as real chocolate history and lore should be nal practices among the Mixtec-speaking limited to dark chocolate, the milk
the next chocolate-related festival chocolate, or types widely desired by encouraged to go online: a search community of Oaxaca; Rebecca Schacker in milk chocolate apparently inter-
February 2 or Dia de la Calendaria respondents. with the key words chocolate and who provided the fieldwork information on fering with avanol absorption in
(Candlemas) when tamales and hot The Mixtec we studied in Califor- cacao, and various spelling variants, cacao/chocolate-related healing practices the gut. The avanol content of dif-
chocolate are prepared as festive nia were a community in transition will reveal thousands of book titles in the Dominican Republic; Dr. Jim Grie- ferent products can also vary great-
dishes. and individuals were undergoing and nearly 23 million websites (as of shop and Timateo Mendoze who undertook ly depending on how the chocolate
Dominican Republic. Chocolate various levels of acculturation. Still, July 1, 2005). Hundreds of these sites fieldwork on cacao/chocolate-related heal- is processed: roasting and other
ing practices among the Mixtec-speaking manufacturing procedures can re-
beverages continue to be widely used interviews we conducted related a claim to host real chocolate facts
community of Madera, California. duce the avanoid content by as
in the Dominican Republic as tradi- strong, sustained use of chocolate in and correct chocolate-related time- This research was funded, in part,
tional medicine, whether to improve a medicinal context. Respondents re- lines. Some of these are generally much as 90%. Some manufactur-
through a generous grant from Mars, Incor-
kidney function, reduce anemia, or to ported that regular drinking of choc- correct, others, however, fit more ers are now probing their produc-
porated.
halt diarrhea. Chocolate is prescribed olate was healthy; that chocolate within the realm of fiction, while the tion lines to see if and where the
by healers to treat sore throat, to ease blended with fresh beaten eggs com- majority merely copy chocolate-re- avanols are being destroyed and
over-exerted brains (among per- bated fatigue; that chocolate mixed lated dates and events from one site References taking steps to stop this. If the evi-
sons engaged in heavy thinking), and with a manzanilla-based herbal tea onto another without critical scrutiny 1 Dillinger TL, Barriga P, Escarcega S, Ji- dence from new studies continues
to soothe stomach ache. Other re- alleviated pain; and chocolate mixed regarding the information source and menez M, Salazar Lowe D, Grivetti LE: to indicate the benecial proper-
Food of the gods: cure for humanity? A ties, we may well start to see ava-
spondents stated that chocolate bev- with cinnamon and ruda (rue) eased whether or not the information is
cultural history of the medicinal and
erages blended with coconut milk stomach ache. correct. noid contents printed on the wrap-
ritual use of chocolate. J Nutr 2000;130
and onion reduced symptoms of the The Mixtec living at Madera re- It is more interesting, instead, to (Suppl): 2057S-2072S pers of chocolate bars.
common cold. Still others said that ported that eating and drinking search the web for specific chocolate- 2 Coe SD, Coe MD: The True History of The other big issue, of course, is
chocolate beverages strengthened the chocolate also had two additional ef- related or sociocultural aspects of Chocolate. Thames and Hudson, Lon- that chocolate is high in calories
lungs and energized consumers. fects. We were told that some indi- chocolate: search for chocolate-relat- don, 1996 a 100-g bar contains about 500
California, USA. Our team mem- viduals drank chocolate to lower their ed advertisements from magazines, 3 Knight I: Chocolate and Cocoa: Health calories. So its all very well incor-
and Nutrition. Blackwell, Oxford, 1999 porating dark chocolate into the
bers have also worked among the high blood pressure. Alternatively, newspapers, and signs; chocolate-re-
4 Rosenblum M: Chocolate: A Bittersweet
Mixtec Indian community located at lethargic individuals who drank lated collectibles, whether boxes and daily diet as a dessert or dessert re-
Saga of Dark and Light. North Point,
Madera, a small town in the San Joa- chocolate would experience elevated tins, candy molds, posters (fig. 7), New York, 2005 placement, quite another thing to
quin Valley of California, with cul- blood pressure and no longer feel chocolate pots/cups/saucers, even 5 Young AM: The Chocolate Tree: A Natu- add it on as a healthy extra, par-
tural roots in the state of Oaxaca in tired. Many in the community report- chocolate-related toys. What one en- ral History of Cacao. Smithsonian In- ticularly given its high fat content.
southern Mexico. We were interested ed that drinking chocolate eased counters during such searches is ex- stitution Press, Washington, DC, 1994 There is also a dearth of infor-
in the maintenance or abandonment symptoms of the common cold. posure to how chocolate fits into mation on how avanols interact
of chocolate-related customs and tra- many aspects of cultures throughout About the author with other dietary components,
ditions after immigration to the Unit- The globalization of the world, how it links peoples and and on their possible acute or
Professor Louis E.Grivetti received his Ph.D.
ed States. Mixtec residents we inter- chocolate cultures through time and geograph- in geography in 1976 from the University of chronic effects. Doubtless we will
viewed reported that chocolate was We have written elsewhere that ical space from Austria to Zambia, California, Davis. He served on the Editorial soon see the results of studies and
consumed in three ways in Madera: chocolate is more than a beverage, from precolonial Central and South Board of the Cambridge World History of clinical trials exploring these and
(1) as Champurado, a mixture of more than a confection, that choco- America to the 21st century of the Food Project and currently serves on the edi- other outstanding questions, par-
chocolate, maize flour, and boiling late is more than the sum of its inter- Common Era: chocolate has become torial boards of Ecology of Food and Nutri- ticularly on the precise mechanisms
water, (2) as a basic beverage pre- esting phytochemicals [1]. To taste part of the social gloss of millions tion, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Inter- of avanol action. Meanwhile,
pared with water or milk, or (3) as chocolate is to share a common con- throughout the world today. national Journal of Food Sciences and Nu- chocolate lovers can nibble on dark
Mole, a chocolate sauce commonly nection through history from the Our chocolate-related research trition, and Nutrition Today. Dr. Grivettis pralines while imagining, at least,
nutrition research focuses on human food their blood cells racing through
served with festive turkey dishes. early Olmecs more than three thou- has revealed a consistent, global fas-
patterns and the nutritional consequences of
Favorite Oaxaca recipes that nor- sand years past, to the period of cination with this wonderful food. wide, unsticky vessels. (ab)
food-related behavior, from both historical
mally blended cacao, sugar, cinna- frothy cacao beverages prepared at Eating chocolate may alter the mind and contemporary perspectives. His work
mon, and almonds were widely de- the court of King Montezuma, into and be pleasing to consumers be- blends nutritional science with history and For further reading please refer to
sired and missed so much so that the 20th- and 21st-century era of the cause of its theobromine content. But culture. He currently coordinates a research the literature list at
individuals returning to Oaxaca for contemporary chocolate bar. chocolate is more. Chocolate alters team dedicated to the study of chocolate. www.karger.com/gazette/68
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Karger

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................................................................ Tetrahydroisoquinoline

Methylxanthine

Eating Your Way to Happiness:

Chocolate,
Brain Metabolism,
and Mood sory properties of chocolate, might
be sufficient to induce a chocolate
such as chocolate, cakes, and ice
cream stimulate the release of brain
high that triggers and reinforces opiates known as endorphins, which
Kr isten Mor r is chocolate cravings.
The combined psychological and
make you feel good and may even in-
crease appetite. As endorphins are
San Diego, Calif. pharmacological effects of chocolate chemically similar to morphine, the
have been a topic of increasing inter- brain responds to them in the same
est among nutritional scientists who way as it responds to morphine.
D ou g l a s Taren are now localizing in the body and These brain opiates are largely re-
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. brain the sites where chocolate acts, sponsible for the bodys response to
and identifying the precise com- pleasure, stress, and pain, and are
pounds involved. known to be involved in drug addic-
tions. It is now believed that cravings
The endorphin effect: the for sweet and high-fat foods such as

I n the spring of 2004, a woman walked into Woolworths the food of the gods, a wicked sensory properties of chocolate may be partly mediated by
pleasure, better than sex, and the chocolate these brain opiates.
with a yearning for chocolate and walked out with 10,000
secret drug of happiness. The most widely accepted explana- If sensory experience, mediated
Mars bars. In April of the same year, a man in the throes of a It is becoming increasingly clear tion for chocolate cravings focuses on by opiates, rather than chocolates
late-night craving shot a sales clerk who would not exchange that chocolate contains several bio- its sensory properties, its unique drug-like constituents, is the ultimate
his expired bag of chocolates. One month later, a small towns logically active compounds, some of combination of sweetness, taste, and object of chocolate craving, then only
police department started handing out chocolate bars to late- which have potential mind-altering texture. Chocolate contains large chocolate should satisfy the craving.
properties that may explain the feel- amounts of sugar and fat (cocoa but- Investigations involving white choc-
night bar-goers as a new weapon for deterring drunks from ings that people have toward choco- ter). Cocoa butter melts at body tem- olate have been useful in delineating
violent outbreaks. Throughout the USA, Chocolate Lovers late [1]. These compounds include: perature, and it is this feature that the extent to which the sensory qual-
Weekend packages replete with chocolate spa treatments and cannabinoid-like fatty acids that are is largely responsible for the overall ities of chocolate contribute to crav-
tastings entice consumers. The Hotel Hershey has even opened structurally similar to the active mol- pleasurable, mouth-watering experi- ings. White chocolate has the tex-
ecule in marijuana (tetrahydrocan- ence of chocolate consumption. Choc- ture and sweetness of chocolate as it
a special spa where men and women can have their dreams ful- nabinol); methylxanthines, including olate also contains more than 400 also contains cocoa butter and sugar.
filled to be covered from head to toe in melted chocolate with one of the most widely consumed distinct flavor compounds (more However, because it contains no
treatments such as whipped cocoa baths, chocolate hydrother- drugs with documented addictive than twice as many as any other chocolate liquor, white chocolate
apy, chocolate bean polishes, and chocolate fondue wraps. properties (caffeine); alkaloids in- food). One would have difficulty ar- does not emit chocolates distinctive
cluding the same compounds that are guing against the statement that at aroma, nor does it contain chocolates
Surprising? Yes, and no. According stance up to its prominence today as found in alcohol and that are thought least part of chocolates allure is driv- many pharmacological constituents.
to the US Department of Commerce, the food of romance, celebration, and to be partially responsible for alco- en by its unique, highly enjoyable In an experiment whose aim was to
the average American eats 4.9 kg of indulgence, it has always held a spe- holism (tetrahydro-beta-carbolines); sensory appeal. isolate the sensory effects of choco-
chocolate per year. (While per capita cial place in society. We do not clas- and biogenic amines, including phe- Chocolate contains approximately late from the potential pharmaco-
sales figures for Switzerland, the sify chocolate as part of any of the nyl-ethylamine, otherwise known as 50% fat and close to 50% carbohy- logical effects, the researchers found
highest in the world, are 11.6 kg a four basic plant groups of food (whole the love drug because it induces drate; this combination of nutrients that white chocolate produced only
year. However, since some of this grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes). physiological and psychological ef- results in a powerful effect whereby an intermediate effect in reducing
represents purchases by tourists, the Nor do we call it a drug. But curiously, fects similar to those caused by being all brain chemicals (specifically sero- craving, significantly less than milk
average Swiss citizen isnt quite con- chocolate has properties of both. A in love. While each of these tonin, dopamine, and opi- chocolate, which largely alleviated
suming two 100-g bars of chocolate a food is defined as any substance pharmacological agents is ate peptides) are posi- craving [2]. These findings lend cre-
week.) American surveys have shown taken into and assimilated by a plant present only in small tioned at optimal dence to either a notable sensory ef-
that chocolate cravings represent or animal to keep it alive and enable amounts, the com- levels for positive fect of chocolates aroma and/or a
close to 50% of all food cravings. That it to grow and repair tissue; nourish- bined effects of these mood and eu- pharmacological effect of its biologi-
makes it the most commonly craved ment; nutriment, while a drug is a compounds, together phoric feelings. cally active compounds.
food in North America, especially substance used as a medicine or as a with the unique sen- Palatable foods
among women. The taste and aroma narcotic, or a chemical substance, Drug-like chemicals in
of chocolate can tempt even the most such as a narcotic or hallucinogen, chocolate
disciplined among us. But, why do we that affects the central nervous sys- Evidence is accumulating to suggest
feel such a passion for chocolate? tem, causing changes in behavior and that chocolate contains several phar-
What makes chocolate so seductive? often addiction. Chocolate is defined macologically active compounds that
The simple answer is that it tastes as a paste, powder, syrup, or bar may have drug-like effects on the
great and makes us feel good. But, made from cacao seeds that have body and mind.
what is it in chocolate that makes us been roasted and ground. It contains
feel so good, that drives us to crave nutrients, provides nourishment, and Anandamides (cannabinoid-like
and in some cases become addicted? fits the definition of a food. Ask choc- fatty acids)
Chocolate has always been con- olate lovers to define chocolate, how- One of the most interesting new find-
sidered unique among foods. From ever, and they will describe it as ings on chocolates pharmacological
its historical use as a sacred sub- the love drug, the eighth wonder, properties is that it may contain a
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Karger
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...................................................................................
medicine codeine. Consequently,
chocolate is now being marketed as Phenylethylamine
the new, effective cough suppressant.
Anandamide While the quantities of methyl- Caffeine
xanthines in chocolate are variable
Acylethanolamine
even within a brand, a typical 1.65-oz
Hershey milk chocolate bar contains
Theobromine
only 10 mg of caffeine (22 mg/200 g)
and 92 mg of theobromine (197 mg/
100 g). For comparison, a cup of cof-
molecule that mimics the actions of been detected in white chocolate or fee usually contains 80100 mg caf- PEA is known to reach peak levels cifically, THBCs appear to inhibit
cannabinoids. Cannabinoids, includ- in brewed espresso coffee. The two feine, and no theobromine. While the during orgasm. MAO, thereby potentiating the effects
ing marijuana, have been used me- chocolate NAEs also appear to inter- relative concentrations of methylxan- While PEA is produced naturally of biogenic amines in chocolate (i.e.,
dicinally for over 4000 years to treat fere with the ability of the brain to thines in chocolate are low, the caf- by brain tissue, studies have also PEA, tryptamine, and others), reduc-
migraine, muscle spasms, seizures, break anandamide down and remove feine and theobromine are neverthe- demonstrated that it is pharmaco- ing the breakdown of neurotransmit-
glaucoma, pain, and nausea. They it from the brain and hence may ex- less likely to play a large role in the logically active and stimulatory when ters and extending their duration of
have also been used recreationally for tend the consequent sense of well-be- pharmacological effects of chocolate. administered. PEA initiates the acti- action.
their mind-altering, relaxing, and ing following chocolate consump- Although the dosage typically found vity of dopamine production and The TIQs found in chocolate in-
mood-elevating effects. tion. in chocolate appears to exert only transmission in the brain, thereby clude salsolinol (SAL) and salsoline.
Recently, a study undertaken at Critics contend, however, that you modest, caffeine-like symptoms, the stimulating the brains pleasure SAL is a dopaminergic active com-
the Neurosciences Institute in San would need to eat an enormous combined effects of theobromine and centers. pound, which binds largely to dopa-
Diego, California, identified a group amount of chocolate to experience caffeine in cocoa products may differ In fact, several studies have sug- mine receptors. These receptors are
of biologically active constituents in the characteristic high induced by from those of either compound alone. gested that PEA is an important specifically responsible for reinforce-
chocolate, most notably anandamide, cannabinoids such as marijuana. Moreover, a recent study demonstrat- modulator of mood and that a deficit ment and reward, and have been as-
that appear to target the endogenous Some have estimated that it would ed that when comparing cocoa pow- may contribute to depression. PEA sociated with neuropsychiatric disor-
cannabinoid system of the brain [3]. take around 11 kg of chocolate eaten der with just the isolated methylxan- is reduced in the biological tissues ders such as drug addiction. Prelimi-
Anandamide, which literally means in one sitting to produce a response thines, the two groups exhibited and fluids of depressed subjects, nary evidence suggests that SAL may
internal bliss, is a lipid that binds to similar to that experienced following similar pharmacological effects. The and replacement with PEA and/or influence the production of endoge-
and activates cannabinoid receptors marijuana use. researchers concluded that since the its amino acid precursor, L-phenyl- nous opioids (endorphins) and the
within the brain, mimicking the psy- cocoa powder (which contains all of alanine, appears to improve some amount of SAL ingested in 100 g of
choactive effects of cannabinoid Methylxanthines the active compounds in chocolate) types of depression. PEA is found in chocolate is sufficient to interact with
drugs, such as heightened sensitivity Chocolate also contains significant had similar activity to the isolated substantial concentrations in choco- the dopamine receptors [6]. Although
and euphoria. amounts of methylxanthines, most methylxanthines, the pharmacologi- late (0.46.6 g/g) and some experts the concentration of SAL in chocolate
cal effects of chocolate are most likely have contended that craving for products is small, the brain effects
largely due to the methylxanthines. chocolate may be an attempt to self- may be significant, especially in com-
regulate brain PEA and mood. bination with the other biologically
Biogenic amines active components of chocolate, and
Another group of compounds found Alkaloids SAL has been deemed one of the
in chocolate are the biogenic amines, A recent study conducted in Spain main psychoactive compounds pres-
most notably tyramine and phenyl- found that the same alkaloid com- ent in cocoa and chocolate.
ethylamine (PEA). Biogenic amines pounds found in alcohol are also
are naturally occurring, biologically present in chocolate (the darker the Chocolate and the brain
active compounds that act primarily chocolate, the more alkaloids). Spe- So, what is really going on in the
as neurotransmitters and are capable cifically, the researchers demonstrat- brain of a chocoholic? How are
of affecting mental functioning and ed that ordinary cocoa and chocolate chocolates unique sensory properties
regulating several bodily processes bars contain two groups of alkaloids and pharmacologically active com-
such as blood pressure and body known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines pounds interpreted by the brain dur-
temperature. Tyramine is an amino (THBCs) and tetrahydroisoquino- ing and after chocolate consumption?
acid that acts to contract blood ves- lines (TIQs) [4]. The concentration of Many chocolate lovers exhibit a
sels and is often implicated as a ma- two THBCs in chocolate and cocoa heightened sense of well-being dur-
jor contributor to migraine head- has been found to be comparable to ing consumption and others report
aches in susceptible individuals. PEA that of alcoholic beverages such as that just thinking about chocolate
occurs naturally as a neurotransmit- wine, beer, and liquor, which contain can evoke a pleasurable response.
ter in the brain and is thought to a relatively high amount of those It has been suggested that all
stimulate the nervous system and compounds. drugs of abuse act on the brains re-
produce feelings such as those expe- These same chemicals in alcohol ward system and cause the brain to
rienced when a person is in love. have been found to exhibit neuroac- interpret drug signals as biologically
For that reason, PEA has been touted tive properties and have been linked rewarding or potentially important
as the love drug and has been to alcoholism. Many recovering alco- stimuli comparable to food or sex.
credited for chocolates aphrodisiac holics use chocolate to curb their This may also be true for chocolate.
properties. craving for alcohol, especially early in The mere sight and smell of pleasur-
In addition to anandamide itself, notably caffeine and theobromine (a On a normal basis, PEA is evenly sobriety. In fact, the book Alcoholics able foods can cause brain dopamine
chocolate and cocoa both appear to caffeine-like substance found almost distributed throughout the central Anonymous actually recommends levels to rise in brain regions associ-
contain two other unsaturated fatty exclusively in chocolate). Both are nervous system and at physiological using chocolate to satisfy alcohol ated with food motivation (such as
acids, which are chemically and phar- stimulants, and caffeine can cause doses may act to stimulate the release cravings [5]. Interestingly, no con- the dorsal striatum). This means that
macologically related to anandamide. noticeable behavioral effects. Al- and transmission of dopamine, a nection between compulsive drink- the dopamine reward system can be
These fatty acids are known as N-acyl- though the methylxanthines are bas- neurotransmitter that inhibits appe- ing and chocolate craving has been triggered by food even when there is
ethanolamines (NAEs; N-oleoyletha- es, they have a very low pKa (0.5) and, tite and improves mood, alertness, established. no pleasure associated with it. The
nolamine, N-linoleoylethanolamine) hence, are highly fat soluble and are ability to cope with stress, and mental These neuroactive alkaloids in spike in dopamine observed follow-
and could mimic endocannabinoid absorbed from the stomach and functioning. PEA is structurally and chocolate are currently being investi- ing exposure to palatable foods, like
ligands such as anandamide either through the walls of the intestines, pharmacologically similar to cate- gated for possible influences on mood chocolate, is similar to that seen in
directly (by activating cannabinoid easily crossing both the blood-brain cholamines and amphetamine, sub- and behavior. Preliminary evidence drug addicts when they are craving
receptors) or indirectly (by slowing and placental barriers. In animals, stances that when released into the suggests that they may influence the drugs.
the breakdown of anandamide, there- theobromine appears to have effects blood increase heart rate, blood pres- production of endogenous opioids So what types of chocolate-relat-
by increasing anandamide levels and congruent to those of caffeine, al- sure, breathing rate, muscle strength, (endorphins), the feel-good chemi- ed cues or signals might the brain
prolonging the action in the brain). though theobromine causes less and mental alertness. They also re- cals produced by the brain. Other interpret as biologically rewarding or
Elevated brain anandamide levels stimulation and takes longer to in- duce the amount of blood going to studies suggest that THBCs might significant? Cues such as images,
have been suggested to magnify the duce a peak pharmacological effect. the skin and increase blood flow to play a role as neuromodulators via ef- scents, and emotions associated with
sensory properties of chocolate, Moreover, recent clinical studies have the major organs (such as the brain, fects on monoamine oxidase (MAO), chocolate activate similar brain re-
which are fundamental to craving, suggested that theobromine sup- heart, and kidneys). In fact, PEA has the enzyme that is largely involved in gions and circuitries as those acti-
and could also interact with other presses vagus nerve activity, which is even earned the nickname chocolate the production and breakdown of vated following exposure to drug-as-
biologically active constituents of responsible for coughing. In fact, amphetamine due to its amphet- neurotransmitters (i.e., serotonin sociated cues. A study involving brain
chocolate (i.e., caffeine, theobromine) theobromine has been shown to be amine-like structure and its ability to and dopamine) that are critical to scans of normal, hungry chocolate
to induce a noticeable sense of well- nearly 30% more effective in stopping promote feelings of attraction, excite- functions such as appetite, motiva- lovers showed that their brains lit up
being. No unsaturated NAEs have persistent coughs than the leading ment, giddiness, and apprehension. tion, cravings, mood, and sleep. Spe- when they saw and smelled chocolate
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Karger
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Tetrahydro-beta-carboline

Salsoline

Tyramine
Salsolinol

pending on whether the subjects were drug-like effects on the brain and be- 7 Schroeder BE, Binzak JM, Kelley AE: A
eating chocolate when they were hun- havior have been studied extensively. common profile of prefrontal cortical
gry or whether they were continuing However, the exact reason for the activation following exposure to nico-
to eat chocolate despite being full [8]. unique magnetism of chocolate, par- tine- or chocolate-associated contex-
For the hungry chocoholics, presen- ticularly among women, has not yet tual cues. Neuroscience 2001;105:535
545
tation of chocolate significantly in- been established. The sensory reward
8 Small DM, Zatoree RJ, Dagher A, Evans
creased the metabolism in regions of of chocolate, shaped by its pharmaco-
AC, Jones-Gotman M: Changes in brain
the brain that are largely associated logical properties and cognitive ef- activity related to eating chocolate:
with addiction (the superior tempo- fects, is an exceptionally potent force from pleasure to aversion. Brain
ral, anterior insula, and orbitofrontal and appears to be the predominant 2001;124:17201733
cortex). In contrast, the pattern of factor contributing to chocolates
brain activity was different for par- noble status. It is becoming clear,
ticipants when they were full, and however, that chocolate is not just a About the authors
eating chocolate was considered aver- delicious food that represents ro- Kristen Morris (maiden name: Bruinsma)
sive. Interestingly, the brain regions mance, love, and celebration. Rather, is a nutritional scientist with several years of
in the same way that the brain of a ical changes in brain regions that are that were activated in the hungry chocolate is a cocktail of pharmaco- clinical nutrition research experience. Hold-
cocaine addict responds when the responsible for certain aspects of ad- chocoholics are the same regions logical agents hidden within a sweet, ing a BA in biology from the University of
addict thinks about his or her next diction. So, the brain areas responsi- that are activated in cocaine users velvety, and, to many if not all, irre- Virginia, and an MS in nutritional science
high. Likewise, in a study designed to ble for drug addiction respond to when they have thoughts about the sistible dessert that has the potential from the University of Arizona, she has been
employed as a medical writer for Healthshop.
investigate why cravings for both chocolate-related cues in the same drug. Together, these findings sup- to induce drug-like effects on the
com, has authored several articles published
drugs and chocolate can be triggered way as they respond to drugs of port the idea that the brain may in- body and the mind. in scientific journals, and has contributed to
by environmental cues that have abuse. terpret chocolate as a drug and that the research for other scientific articles. Cur-
come to be associated with the craved The brain of achocoholic also the activation of this dopamine re- rently employed at a biopharmaceutical
References
substance, the researchers found that responds to eating chocolate in the ward system likely plays an integral company in San Diego, California, she has
1 Bruinsma (Morris) K, Taren DL: Choc-
exposure to chocolate-associated same way the brain of a drug addict role in the explanation of chocolates olate: food or drug? J Am Diet Assoc been a speaker on behalf of the company at
stimuli induces a pattern of gene ex- responds to appeasing a drug crav- appeal. 1999;99:12491256 pharmaceutical development investigator
pression in the prefrontal cortex that ing. In one study, participants melted 2 Michener W, Rozin P: Pharmacological conferences in the United States and Europe.
shows many similarities to the pat- chocolate slowly in their mouths Womens special versus sensory factors in the satiation Douglas Taren received his doctoral degree
tern elicited by drug cues (the pre- while their brain activity was mea- relationship with of chocolate craving. Physiol Behav in nutritional sciences from Cornell Univer-
frontal cortex is a brain region re- sured as they became satisfied and chocolate 1994;56:419-422 sity in 1986. After serving on the faculty at
sponsible for several aspects of drug then beyond, to a point where they Why do more women than men expe- 3 di Tomaso E, Beltramo M, Piomelli D: the University of South Florida College of
addiction) [7]. The researchers con- ate despite feeling satiated. The re- rience chocolate cravings? Why is Brain cannabinoids in chocolate. Na- Public Health from 1987 to 1992, he joined
cluded that both chocolate and drugs searchers found that different brain chocolate often an uncontrollable ad- ture 1996;382:677678 the University of Arizona College of Medicine
of abuse induce long-term physiolog- regions were activated selectively de- diction for women, one that can sab- 4 Herraiz T: Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines, in 1996. His work has focused on womens
potential neuroactive alkaloids, in health and the prevention of preterm infants,
otage a healthy diet, weight control
chocolate and cocoa. J Agric Food the development of educational programs,
and/or disease prevention? Chem 2000;48:49004904 the improvement of dietary assessment
Many scientists believe that the 5 AA Services. Alcoholics Anonymous methods, and child nutrition. He has under-
cycle of fat and sugar cravings in Big Book 4th Edition. Hazelden, 2002 taken projects in Central and Latin America,
women coincides with reproductive 6 Melzig MF, Putscher I, Henklein P, Africa, China and Nepal. Author of two text-
How chocolate could influence needs. Women consistently report Haber H: In vitro pharmacological books, numerous book chapters, and more
heightened fat and sugar cravings activity of the tetrahydroisoquinol- than 60 published papers, Dr. Taren is cur-
brain and behavior during puberty and following ovula- ine salsolinol present in products rently an Associate Professor of Public Health
tion (premenstrually), which allows from Theobroma cacao L. like cocoa in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona
for building up energy stores in prep- and chocolate. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; College of Public Health where he chairs the
aration for pregnancy. Men, on the 73:153159 Master of Public Health Program.
Methylxanthines other hand, report preferences for
in chocolate high-protein foods, consistent with
Caffeine
their species-survival need for great-
Biogenic amines Theobromine er muscle mass. Karger
in chocolate
Anandamide and
N-acylethanol- Other scientists explain gender Gazette
Stimulants which may amines in differences and the cyclic nature of
e.g. contribute to the chocolate The Karger Gazette, provided free to the biomedical
Phenylethylamine addictive nature of
food cravings strictly by differences
community, appears once a year, highlighting a specially
Tyramine chocolate N-oleoylethanolamine in hormonal production, as womens selected topic in biomedicine.
Tryptamine N-linoleoylethanol- cravings for sweet high-fat foods in- To subscribe please write to:
amine crease dramatically prior to men-
Potentially induce S. Karger AG, P.O. Box
drug-like neuro- Fatty acids which
struation. Studies have shown that of CH4009 Basel, Switzerland
physiological effects the 40% of women who experience Fax +41 61 306 12 34
target the endogenous
Email: [email protected]
cannabinoid system of regular chocolate cravings, almost
the brain
half experience heightened chocolate Published by S. Karger AG, Basel
Edited by Dagmar Horn and Anne Blonstein (ab)
cravings before and during menses. Design by Erich Gschwind
Finally, some researchers suggest The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and
that chocolate cravings in women do not necessarily reect those of S. Karger AG.
Influences of 2005 by S. Karger AG, Basel
hormones and may also have a cultural explanation. All rights reserved
neuropeptides Self-medication Considering the immense amount of Printed on recycled paper
chocolate advertising that targets Picture credits
Episodic changes in The high concentration
estrogen and of fat and carbohydrate
women, and its association with ro- Illustration on title page: Aztec woman preparing a chocolate drink,
progesterone levels mance, perhaps it is not surprising which was made frothy by pouring it back and forth.
in chocolate may
with concomitant (From: Codice Tudela, 16th century)
increase serotonin that women, more than men, have
fluctuations in Release of
synthesis and enhance Illustrations were kindly provided by the following
neuropeptides such as endogenous opioid
mood. Chocolate is
come to associate chocolate with sex, organizations and companies:
galanin and neuropep- peptides love, and comfort. Chocosuisse, Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers,
also high in magnesium
tide Y stimulate the and may be eaten to www.chocosuisse.ch (pp. 4, 5);
desire for fat and Chocolates high fat Information Center of the German confectionary industry,
compensate Mg2+ Summary
carbohydrate and may and sugar content www.infozentrum-schoko.de (pp. 2, 6);
deficiencies
be responsible for may stimulate the Chocolates unique characteristics, in- Nestl Suisse SA (p. 4); Camille Bloch SA (p. 8).
premenstrual increases release of brain opioids
leading to sensations cluding its sensory properties, pharm- The Karger Gazette is also available online:
in chocolate cravings
of pleasure acologically active compounds, and www.karger.com/gazette
 8.
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Karger
Gazette
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Camille Bloch A Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Made in Switzerland .................................
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that all the stages of production, from . . . .
A sk anyone who likes chocolate to name two Swiss choco- wasnt merely novel but laid the foun-
late firms, and they are likely to reply: Suchard and Lindt. dations for the fi rms survival
prosperity in a very changed postwar
Ask them to name a specific Swiss chocolate product, and the consumer landscape.
and the source of the raw ingredients
right through to the end product have . . . .
met the rabbinical standards of food
answer might now depend on where they live. Outside Switzer- He replaced part of the chocolate hygiene for example, the absence of . . . .
land, Toblerone the triangular, Alp-mimicking, chocolate and mass with a hazelnut mass, i.e. a contact with pork (e.g. at the farms
almond bar is likely to be the most familiar product. Within smooth praline paste made from the producing the milk), and, for Pass- . . . .
Camille Bloch
nuts, whose supply had not been in- over consumption, no cereals in the
Switzerland, though, two other bars, to be found in every news- terrupted by the war. Not only that, he
paper kiosk, by the checkout till in every supermarket, are just changed the form of the chocolate,
end-product. ....
as familiar Ragusa and Torino. And these chocolate bars are from a flat bar to a branche, a 50-g
bar with a squarish cross-section, the
The future: continuity
and expansion
....
not manufactured by a large multinational firm, but by a
soft filling containing the third in- A challenge for manufacturers of any . . . .
small, 75-year-old, Jewish family-owned business, based in novation whole hazelnuts, sur- product is to attract, and hold, each
Courtelary, a rural town in the French-speaking part of Switzer- rounded by a darker-chocolate coat- new generation of consumers: it can-
land: Camille Bloch. The unusual story of Camille Bloch com- ing. Wrapped in foil and then placed not rely on parents passing on their
bines imagination and business acumen, resilience and cus- in a cardboard tube. tastes to their children. This requires
Sales of Ragusa during the war Rolf Bloch a judicious balance between modern
tomer loyalty. were modest, but its unusual taste marketing strategies for existing
and texture clearly found a following. products and the introduction of new
From Bern to Courtelary: additional cocoa butter, sugar, and, After the war, the market for choco- brands for a different consumer
on the winding road to for milk chocolate, milk powder. This late slowly recovered, but a new player awareness. It is noticeable, for exam-
success mixture is refined to a flaky powder had entered the field the American ple, in this era of health- and weight-
Camille Bloch, the firms founder, in a roller mill. Next comes the pro- snack bar, like Mars and Hershey. In consciousness that dark and bitter
moved his small enterprise into an cess of conching, which transforms Ragusa (and Torino, a 46-g praline chocolate are gaining on milk choco-
empty paper factory in Courtelary in the powdery aggregate into a fluid, bar created shortly after the war), Ca- late, and chocolate products are in-
1935. He had become a chocolate shearing the chocolate mass with ro- mille Bloch not only had a competitor creasingly available in smaller por-
manufacturer in 1929 when, after tary blades to aerate and homogenize but could build on the preexisting af- tions, so we can indulge our sweet
selling chocolate for Tobler, he bought it. This takes time, but brings out the fection Swiss consumers had already Daniel Bloch sins with a little less guilt!
up machinery from A.W. Lindt in full flavor of the cocoa, and is where developed for the products. With Market expansion is another way
Bern, who were closing down. But the mouth-melting properties of strategic and dynamic publicity and forward. The burgeoning markets in
rents in Bern were high, and so, with chocolate are created: the longer the marketing, Ragusa and Torino be- into the chocolate. And such quality East Asia are not an option for Ca-
his son Rolf the future director in conching, the smoother the chocolate came, and remain, unreplaceable control accompanies all the stages of mille Bloch at the moment other,
the back seat, he drove up into the so its said. Conching once took as household brands. Each today repre- the manufacturing process. Camille larger corporations must, perhaps,
countryside looking for new premis- long as 72 hours! Today, many firms sents 30% of the total production of Bloch makes its chocolate in batches, first melt the barrier of different eat-
es. His choice also fell on Courtelary have cut this down to 12 hours. But at Camille Bloch chocolate products. and Daniel Bloch emphasized that ing habits and tastes among, say, the
because the Swiss watch industry, Camille Bloch conching still lasts 24 this again means that the company Chinese. New markets nearer home
which is largely based in the canton hours to reduce it further, the com- Recipes for survival can guarantee the quality and consis- are more attractive. Eighty percent
Jura, had been strongly hit by the De- pany believes, would impair the qual- quality and niche tency of its products. of the companys production is cur-
pression, and many of the regions ity of the chocolate. products Specialization is the second pillar rently sold within Switzerland
inhabitants were out of work. A choc- After conching, the chocolate is How has a small, family-owned firm of success. Camille Bloch could not countries of the European Union, like
olate factory was a welcome, if not ready to enter the various production managed to survive, persist, and grow possibly hope to compete success- France, Italy, and Germany, with
quite usual, source of employment. lines for different products e.g. in a highly competitive market now fully with larger firms if it produced similar patterns of chocolate con-
In 1935, the firm had a turnover solid bars, bars filled with liqueurs dominated by a few, large corpora- the same kind of faceless products sumption and good purchasing pow-
of about CHF 0.5 million. Seventy- and, at Camille Bloch Torino and tions? Irreplaceable products are part flat bars of milk or plain chocolate er, are appealing new markets to try
five years later, the annual turnover is Ragusa. of the story, but there is more to it for example. Although, it does indeed to enter.
CHF 50 million (USD 40 million). than that. As the current CEO, Camille produce a small quantity of chocolate Following in his fathers foot-
The company today employs 150 Ragusa an invention Blochs grandson, Daniel Bloch, told for the tourist market, wrapped, pre- steps, it was Rolf Bloch who steered
people and annually produces 2700 born of necessity us, such a company must acknowl- dictably, in Swiss Alpine scenery, or the firm from the 1950s onwards,
tonnes of chocolate. As World War II wore on, Camille edge what it cannot do, identify its famous landmarks like the wooden through all the lows and highs of em-
Bloch, like all other European manu- strengths, and cultivate them. Here, bridge in Luzern. A focus on special ployee shortages and consumer
Making chocolate: an facturers of chocolate was faced with the two key words are quality and niche products is the only phenotype booms. In 1998, his sons Daniel and
ancient craft a shortage in his basic raw material specialization. for survival. In addition to Ragusa Stphane (as Marketing Director)
Chocolate begins with the cocoa cocoa beans. Chocolate firms tried By buying the raw cocoa beans on and Torino, Camille Bloch is perhaps took over the driving seat and will
bean. And, in contrast to all other all sorts of ways to make the choco- the market, and testing samples be- best known for its bars of kirsch- steer the company into the 21st cen-
Swiss chocolate firms of equivalent late go further, like adding fruits and fore purchase, Camille Bloch can ex- filled chocolate. tury. Whether they in turn will be fol-
size, Camille Bloch still purchases nuts to their bars. Camille Bloch, ert a high degree of control over the And, at about the same time that lowed by their children remains to be
and roasts the beans itself, rather however, came up with an idea that quality of the raw materials that go this issue of the Karger Gazette is re- seen. As Daniel Bloch pointed out,
than buying the partially prepared leased, Camille Bloch will be launch- for them, Camille Bloch is a company
chocolate paste from an outside ing a new line of mousse choco- name, not a blood-and-flesh person-
source. The beans usually come from lates: more dark seductions for its ality as he was for their fathers. But
Ghana and Ecuador and are stored, devoted and, the company obviously they like chocolate and thats a start.
refrigerated, on site before they are hopes, new consumers. (ab)
processed. After quality control
checks and cleaning, the beans are Kosher chocolate We would like to thank the firm of Camille
roasted: for dark chocolate for longer Twice a year, Camille Bloch produces Bloch for its time and hospitality, in particular
periods and at higher temperatures. Kosher chocolate, which comprises Sandra Biedermann-Bigai who organized our
visit and provided documentation and photo-
They are then crushed and the husk 5% of its sales, half to the USA, the
graphs, CEO Daniel Bloch for granting us an in-
is blown away by air. The beans are rest going to Israel and Europe. What terview, and Liliane Scheidegger who gave us a
then ground finely to form the cocoa makes chocolate Kosher is not the fascinating guided tour of the plant and produc-
mass, and other products are added: manufacturing process, per se, but tion process.