Chocolate is delicious to eat, but it has served many other purposes over the years, too. Photo courtesy of Metro Editorial Services (MS)
By Metro Editorial Services (MS)
Many cannot resist chocolate, that beloved creamy, sweet confection derived from cocoa beans, milk and sugar. All over the world people love to indulge in chocolate, especially come Valentine’s Day.
According to data from Leatherhead Food Research, Switzerland consumes more chocolate per capita than any country in the world. Ireland, the United Kingdom, Austria and Belgium round out the top five.
Despite its apparent popularity in Europe, chocolate was first popularized among the Olmecs of Mexico, who used the cocoa beans more than 3,500 years ago. However, it wasn’t until the last 200 years that chocolate turned into the sweet treat that is known and loved today.
Aztecs believed cocoa had aphrodisiac properties, and chocolate contains a chemical called phenylethylamine, which is released naturally in the body when a person falls in love. The aroma of chocolate can induce relaxation, and chocolate also contains dopamine, a natural painkiller.
While chocolate is now used primarily as a food, over the years it has had many other uses — some of which are quite unique. Here are some of the many ways people have used chocolate throughout history.
• Dental health: Arman Sadeghpour, a researcher at Tulane University, says an extract of cocoa powder could be an effective alternative to using fluoride. Chocolate-enhanced toothpaste may be the next big thing.
• Medicine: Chocolate is full of antioxidants, which serve all sorts of disease-fighting benefits in the body. Dark chocolate provides the greatest number of health benefits, as it contains flavonols, which stimulate the brain and support the circulatory system.
• Fashion: Designers and chocolatiers worldwide collaborate to make sweet outfits at Le Salon du Chocolat’s fashion shows.
• Money: The Mayans once used cocoa beans as a form of currency, as did the Aztecs. In this instance, money actually did grow on trees.
• Fuel: Chocolate has been used to feed bacteria that produce hydrogen, which can be used as a clean power source.
• Mood enhancement: Chocolate may help to improve mood, as it is a mild stimulant and can affect serotonin levels, which govern those feel-good feelings, in the brain.
• Perfume: Chocolate produces more than 400 distinct smells and has been used to make perfume more fragrant.
• Postage: In 2013, Belgium’s post office sold limited-edition stamps that were varnished with 40 percent of a cocoa product. The stamps smelled and tasted like chocolate.
• Skin care: Cocoa butter, a component of chocolate, has long been used to moisturize and soothe dry skin. Many spas now incorporate organic chocolate into their healing and beauty therapies.
• Special effects: Before the days of computer-simulated special effects, moviemakers had to employ other methods to produce realistic results. Legend has it that Bosco brand chocolate syrup was used as blood in the famed shower scene in the classic horror movie “Psycho.” Bosco was used because it showed up great in black and white.
Chocolate has been tempting taste buds for thousands of years. It’s also been used in some unique ways, even if, come Valentine’s Day, the majority of people would be content just to eat it.