THE CHEMISTRY OF
CHOCOLATE "Chocoholics"
everywhere will tell you that eating chocolate makes them
feel good, but why?
Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals, some of
which react within the human brain to
alter mood. One of these chemical reactions is the
release of endorphins, proteins which occur
naturally in the brain to reduce pain, which in large
amounts can make you feel more relaxed or
energetic.
Chocolate also contains caffeine in very small amounts,
but has a lot of the weaker related stimulant
theobromine. Like caffeine, theobromine has been linked
to causing migraine headaches, but its
positive properties have not been ignored. In the 1940s
and ‘50s, the Hershey company extracted the
stimulant from cocoa beans and sold it to Coca Cola,
which used the chemical in its soda.
Phenylethylamine is related to amphetamines, and both are
stimulants of the nervous system which
raise blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Practically speaking, phenylethylamine has been shown
to make people feel more alert and gives them a sense of
well-being.
In 1992, a new chemical was discovered, which was later
found in chocolate. Anandamide is a
messenger molecule that plays a role in depression,
memory, and pain. The name comes from the
Sanskrit word "ananda", which means
"bliss". Researchers think the presence of
anandamide in
chocolate may explain why it is by far the most-craved
food.
Anandamide is found naturally in the human body, and acts
as a molecular key to receptors on nerve
cells. The anandamide key attaches to a receptor and
allows ions to flow into the nerve cell, equalizing
charges both inside and outside the cell. These molecular
keys help alleviate pain and aid in relaxation.
Pain-killing drugs like morphine and codeine mimic
naturally-occurring key molecules. But scientists
hope the mood-enhancing qualities of anandamine will have
more benefits than just a chocolate
craving. They are hoping it may contribute to finding the
cure for mental diseases.
Now you know some of the reasons why chocolate makes you
feel so good. It only takes a little bit
of chocolate to curtail a craving and get that cheerful
chocolatey feeling!
GANONG - A CANADIAN SUCCESS STORY
Next
time you bite into your favourite chocolate bar or give
your sweetheart a heart-shaped box of
treats, remember that Canadian innovation helped make
chocolate what it is today.
Ganong Brothers Ltd. was founded in 1873 in St. Stephen,
NB, when James and Gilbert Ganong
realized their retail grocery business was failing. They
decided to specialize in confectionery products,
and later moved on to chocolates.
In fact, it is a proud Canadian fact that the Ganongs
invented the chocolate bar. Arthur Ganong and
his manufacturer George Ensor needed to find a way to
keep chocolate from melting in their pockets
on their frequent fishing trips. They came up with a
peanut and chocolate mixture which they wrapped
in cellophane. In 1910, several years after their
invention, the 5-cent chocolate bar was introduced to
the North American market.
Throughout their history, Ganong has brought many
innovations to the confectionery business. They
installed the first lozenge machine in 1887 (which is
still in use), and they were the first manufacturer in
Canada to use cellophane packaging.
Today, Ganong Brothers Ltd. is still a family company,
headed by fourth-generation president David
A. Ganong. Their continued success has led them to be
regarded as one of the best-managed private
companies in Canada.
At its St. Stephen, NB location, Ganong employs two food
science graduates and a "chocolatier", or
confectionery technologist. In this dream job, they are
primarily responsible for ensuring product
quality through testing of raw ingredients such as
glucose, sugar, and nut meats, finished product
starch cook tests, and evaluations of product weight and
packaging material. Chocolatier Phil
Whiteside did not mention anything about product
taste-testing, but it seems that would be a great
fringe benefit of the job!
