How much caffeine is in an ounce of milk chocolate? Get the answer along with more fascinating facts about chocolate.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Chocolate: Valentines Day wouldn’t be the same without it. But for many people it’s a year-round treat.
The average American eats 10 to 12 pounds of chocolate every year.
Cocoa, a main ingredient in chocolate, comes from the beans of the cacao tree, which is native to South America.
In the 1500’s, the explorer Hernando Cortez traveled from the new world back to Spain carrying cacao beans, but they weren’t well received because of their bitter flavor.
Later, when Europeans added sugar, cocoa became popular as a drink.
Today, roasting and other processing methods are used along with sugar to improve raw cocoa’s bitter taste.
But this reduces levels of compounds known as flavanols, which have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Generally, dark chocolate, which typically contains more cocoa, is higher in flavanols than milk chocolate.
Studies show that eating dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and perhaps cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clots. But if you’re not careful, the sugar and calories can quickly add up.
Contrary to popular belief, chocolate contains very little caffeine. An ounce of milk chocolate has about as much as a cup of decaf coffee.
And chocolate generally does not cause acne.
But keep it away from your dog. A compound in chocolate called theobromine can be harmful – especially in large doses.
In humans, chocolate can sometimes be a trigger for migraine headaches.
And though it’s technically not an aphrodisiac , it does contain chemicals that can elevate our mood and give us a feeling of pleasure.
Maybe that’s why people smile so much each year around February 14.