“Everything is good if it’s made of chocolate.” – Jo Brand. No matter what occasion, what time of day or with whom you are eating, it always makes the mood right. One can eat chocolate whenever they feel down to uplift their moods, or share a piece of it with their loved ones to double the joy of eating.
Chocolate Day marks the third day of Valentine’s Week. It is celebrated on February 9 every year and is devoted to the sweet delight.
While we love chocolates, we barely dig into the history of the invention and its benefits to humankind. Have a choco drink and let’s dive into the history and facts right away.
History of Chocolate
The root of chocolate can be traced back more than 3,000 years ago. The cacao tree, from which chocolate is obtained, used to be cultivated by the Toltec, Maya, and Aztec people. Now, let’s learn a little bit about these three civilizations.
The Toltec Civilization– Flourished in ancient central Mexico between the 10th and mid-12th centuries. the first Toltec leader was Ce Técpatl Mixcoatl. The Toltecs had roots in the Tolteca-Chichimeca people, who, during the 9th century, had migrated from the deserts of the north-west to Culhuacan in the Valley of Mexico.
The Maya Civilization – Maya and Mesoamerican Indians occupied a nearly continuous territory in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. In the early 21st century some 30 Mayan languages were spoken by more than five million people, most of whom were bilingual in Spanish.
The Aztecs Civilization – Aztecs, by self-name Culhua-Mexica, were Nahuatl-speaking people who in the 15th and early 16th centuries ruled a large empire in what is now central and southern Mexico. The name Aztec is derived from Aztlán variously translated as ‘White Land’, ‘Land of White Herons’, or ‘Place of Herons’, an allusion to their origins, probably in northwestern Mexico.
They would prepare bitter beverages using the cocoa bean and also use them as currency. The Maya people believed the cocoa tree to be sacred and considered chocolate as the food of the gods. The word chocolate stems from the Aztec word ‘xocoatl’, which means bitter drink brewed from cocoa beans.
Spain was the earliest European country to incorporate chocolate into its cuisine, but exactly how that happened is vague. It is known that Christopher Columbus took cocoa beans to Spain after his fourth voyage in 1502, though little was made of it at that time. It has been commonly thought that in 1519, Montezuma II, the Aztec ruler of Mexico, served a bitter cocoa-bean drink to the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who subsequently introduced the drink to Spain.
In 1657 a Frenchman opened a shop in London at which solid chocolate for making the beverage could be purchased at 10 to 15 shillings per pound. At that price, only the wealthy could afford to drink it, and there appeared in London, Amsterdam, and other European capitals fashionable chocolate houses, some of which later developed into famous private clubs.
Importance of Chocolate Day
Chocolate illustrates love, affection, and care. So, if you want to show your affection towards your special one, give them a bunch of chocolates. While it is loved all year round, Chocolate Day is an opportunity to strengthen your bond by sharing the sweet treat. From heart-shaped wonders to handmade bars, there are several ways chocolates can help you win someone’s heart. This makes Chocolate Day one of the sweetest days of Valentine’s Week.
Benefits of Chocolate
The Mood Enhancer
The first World Chocolate Day was celebrated in Europe, on July 7, 1550. The celebrations spread throughout the world, including the United States. This delicious treat is pictured to be a mood enhancer, and it has a variety of health benefits. While it is not recommended for people with diabetes or heart disease, chocolate is an excellent choice for everyone.
Valentine’s Day is the traditional time to give and receive chocolates. This sweet treat is a token of love in many cultures and is a popular gift for lovers. Chocolates are delicious treats that add to the sweetness of your relationship. It might not be that surprising that chocolates lead to a happy mood. However, it is not because of its flavorful taste but the nutrients present in it. It can regulate some feel-good hormones in our body like dopamine and serotonin. Thus, eating a little amount of chocolate regularly can help you stay cheerful.
House Of Antioxidants
Chocolates have several antioxidants and experts believe that it has more antioxidants than most foods. Due to this, chocolate can directly influence the insulin resistance of the body and in turn, reduce the risk of diabetes significantly. It must be noted that darker chocolate is said to have more antioxidants than ones which are loaded with sugar.
Also Read: Valentine’s Week 2023: Everything To Know About This Week; Today Is Propose Day
Cognitive ability
Chocolate is also believed to be effective in improving the memory function of the brain. The flavonoids present in chocolate help in enhancing the processing speed, attention and working memory of the brain. This is because the nutrient tends to supply more blood to the part of the brain which is responsible for forming memories.
Work as Strokes Defender
Canadian scientists, in a study involving 44,489 individuals, found that people who ate one serving of chocolate were 22 per cent less likely to experience a stroke than those who did not. A further study, published in the journal Heart in 2015, tracked the impact of diet on the long-term health of 25,000 men and women. The findings suggested that eating up to 100 grams of chocolate each day may be linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. A 2017 clinical trial found that subjects who consumed almonds with or without dark chocolate showed improved LDL cholesterol levels.
Fetal growth and development
Every day eating 30 g of chocolate during pregnancy might benefit fetal growth and development, according to a study presented at the 2016 Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Atlanta, GA.
Better Athletic Performance
The scientists believe that the success of dark chocolate, in this case, is that it contains flavonols known as epicatechins, which enhance the release of nitric oxide in the body. Beetroot juice has a similar effect. Researchers studying cyclists doing time trials in the United Kingdom found that “After eating dark chocolate, the riders used less oxygen when cycling at a moderate pace and also covered more distance in a two-minute flat-out time trial.”
Improve Blood Flow and Blood Pressure
Many controlled studies show that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, though the effects are usually mild
However, one study in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure showed no effect, so take this with a grain of salt. It’s possible that people who are already receiving treatment for the high blood pressure may not get any additional benefit from adding cocoa flavanols to their diet.
Improve Brain Function
Studies show that eating high-flavanol cocoa can improve blood flow to the brain in young adults. This may explain why eating cocoa daily appears to improve attention, verbal learning, and memory. Cocoa flavonoids may also help maintain cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and reduce the chance of progressing to dementia. But more research is needed
So, let’s celebrate this chocolate day with our loved ones by gifting them and sharing the chocolaty love with all.
