One of the amazing facts about chocolate, at least from the point of chocolate-lovers, is that it’s not as bad for your health and teeth as experts once believed. Chocolate contains numerous antioxidants that help boost your immune system to fight infections and diseases. The chemical, theobromine, a naturally-occurring substance in chocolate, helps stimulate healthy heart and respiratory functions (although theobromine can be fatal to cats and dogs). Researchers in Japan also learned that parts of the cocoa bean, from which chocolate originates, contain antibacterial agents that can fight the germs responsible for cavities. To celebrate the fruit of what ancient Greeks called Theobroma Cacao (the cocoa tree), or “food of the gods,” Dr. Pasha Hakimzadeh presents a few interesting things about chocolate and how it’s been used throughout history.
Where Does Chocolate Come From?
· Thought you’d go to extremes to get your hands on some chocolate? In 17th-century Mexico, upper-class Spaniards were so addicted to chocolate that they openly refused to adhere to the church’s ban on eating or drinking it during services. The people instead went to private worship services, and the bishop was later poisoned, many believe through his customary cup of chocolate.
· The Aztecs also used chocolate for other than a treat. The cacao bean was a valuable form of currency in ancient Aztec culture.
· When introduce to the Spanish Court after Christopher Columbus’ visits to the Americas, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle dismissed chocolate as a primitive tribal concoction. Throughout the rest of Europe, particularly England, chocolate was a delicacy available only to royalty and the well-connected.
· Chocolate milk was first invented as a medicinal recipe. During the 17th century, Scottish physician Hans Sloane created a milk chocolate drink after encountering a similar beverage in Jamaica. The original drink made Sloane nauseous, but he found that adding milk to the chocolate made it more agreeable. At first, chocolate milk was used in apothecaries, until the recipe was sold to the Cadbury brothers in the late 1800s.
About Downey Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:
Dr. Hadis Reyhani, Dr. Ben Reyhani, and Dr. Pasha Hakimzadeh, DDS, provide a wealth of combined experience, along with innovative technology and personalized care, to help improve our patients’ dental health and function and help them enjoy smiling again. To schedule a consultation, call Downey Family Cosmetic Dentistry today at (562) 472-2433.
