It is no secret that the dark side of chocolates is actually healthy one.
Emerging evidence from several studies suggests that eating chocolates is not only delicious but also good for our brain and heart. Chocolates can potentially lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce stroke risk. And much of chocolate’s nutrition comes from a compound called flavanols.
According to the Mars Center for Cocoa Health Science, flavanols are a distinct group of naturally occurring compounds that can be found in a variety of food products such as tea, red wine, blueberries and raw cocoa.
Cocoa flavanols are plant-derived bioactives from cocoa beans. Cocoa is an especially rich source of flavanols and the type and mixture of flavanols and procyanidins found in cocoa is unique. Many studies show cocoa flavanols have a range of proven health benefits, including improved circulation and cardiovascular health, the research arm of the makers of leading chocolate brands such as Twix, and Snickers, said.
But do we actually get this nutrition from antioxidant activities and from flavanols of cocoa when we eat a chocolate cake or a chocolate cookie? It may depend on the preparation as there is a risk of loss of nutrition during food processing and baking. So finding a way to retain chocolate’s nutrition in baking could help people indulge in the delicious muffins, cakes and cookies with less guilt.
Preventing Nutrition Loss
In a study published in the Journal of Food Science, scientists from The Hershey Company -- a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery -- and US-based Brunswick Laboratories showed that in chocolate cakes, antioxidant activity and cocoa flavanols could be largely retained by using a combination of baking powder and baking soda.
With this method, over 85 percent of the cocoa flavanols were preserved in recipes for chocolate frosting, hot cocoa drink and chocolate cookies, the findings showed.
Denne historien er fra June/July 2016-utgaven av Food & Beverage Business Review.
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Denne historien er fra June/July 2016-utgaven av Food & Beverage Business Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Healthy Food - An Attempt to Meet Diners' Desire
Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, was about "Good Health and Well-being". This could be said to be an eye-opener and the source of making people aware of maintaining their health, which became more pronounced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Consuming healthy food, since then, has become a significant - if not imperative - element in lives of almost everyone. And this healthy and nutritious food is also playing a significant role in the success of restaurants. Diners are now becoming more particular about the food they consume, making the F&B outlets offer a diverse and appealing menu of healthy food options. Ashok Malkani tries to evaluate how the restaurants and chefs are meeting this desire for nutritious food by customers and what are some of the healthy food options.
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