Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Mark_Hudson — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:26:59 GMT

Some big chocolate makers decided to stick with 100% cocoa butter, as mentioned in news on the parent site, Chocolate Lovers Rejoice: Mars Won't Budge

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/09/chocolate-lovers-rejoice-mar s-won-t-budge.aspx

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

jillybean — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 13:49:00 GMT

I thought the article by Mary Dan Eades, M.D. on a chocolate tan was really interesting.

The thrust of the piece is that research has suggested that when we eat dark cocoa, the catechins (flavanoid antioxidant compounds) in it make their way into the upper skin layers and aggregate there, knocking off free radicals, thickening the dermal layer (read that combating wrinkles), and plumping and moisturizing the skin."

Maybe that is why I never burned in the sun like my husband who hates chocolate. :)

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Sun — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:33:30 GMT

http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2006/06/paul_nisons_raw.html
Read this article if you think raw cacao or chocolate is healthy for you.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Click — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 01:20:49 GMT

A Dutch friend told me long ago that only Holland and Switzerland regulate the coco butter content of chocolate: manufacturers in all other countries may extract the coco butter for use in the lucrative cosmetic industry and still sell their product as chocolate.

I purchased one of the new Hershey dark chocolate bars recently, and read with great surprise a warning on the back that you should only eat a serving of the rich sweet. This is really unprecedented in my experience and I'm still uncertain why they would put such a disclaimer on their product.

As dark chocolate soars in health popularity, we should be aware of the stress the new demand could place on the ecosystem to meet this demand, and the rise of inevitable shortcuts to meet and profit from this demand. I'm reminded how the industry went after sharks once Cuba identified possible benefits in the treatment of cancer. They are now endangered.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

snowtracks — Thu, 31 May 2007 23:08:48 GMT

Yes, this "chocolate" will be yet another food technology "advancement" made (at least partially) made possible by the wide-spread use and acceptance of so-called "natural flavors."

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Cacao — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:09:50 GMT

If you drink or use raw milk below is a recipe for a milkshake that tastes great!
Just click on the link below.

http://www.designedforyouco-op.com/id74.html

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

katy g — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:51:52 GMT

I find it infuriating that the American chocolate manufacturers want to call their products "Chocolate" when they have little or no cocoa in them. Allowing these products to be called chocolate is just plain deception of the American consumer. If the FDA is thinking of changing labeling requirements, I would like to see the % of cocoa prominently displayed on the label like most, if not all, foreign chocolate producing countries require.

If the ingredient list begins with sugar, I won't buy it. If you think your addicted to chocolate, check the ingredient list. If the 1st ingredient is sugar, you're NOT addicted to chocolate... you're addicted to sugar.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Zambini — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:20:45 GMT

For years I've been telling my husband that chocolate is a health food! lol

We use cocoa powder that we get from a coop - organic. Compare this label to the brand name cocoa in the grocery store, and you will see where commercial food processing is leading our health. I don't have a brand name store cocoa label, or I would share that too.

Dutch Cocoa Powder Certified Organic (couldn't find organic in non-dutched)

Serving Size 1 Tbsp 14.0g (just one tablespoon packs the following)

Calories 30 (calories from fat 20)
Total Fat 1.5g 2%Daily value
Sat Fat 0
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 0g
Dietary Fiber 4g 17% Daily Value (can you say wow - in one Tbsp)
Sugars 0g (and yes we add those, but we choose HEALTHY ones)
Protein 6g

Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 10% !!!!!!! (You have to eat 1/4 cup of organic raisins to get 6% iron)

They don't list all the non-FDA regulated phytochemicals and such, but I just love taking my fiber and iron with a cup of raw m

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

fresh air — Thu, 31 May 2007 09:58:47 GMT

Thank you Dr. Mercola for letting us know about this.
I eat Organic Cacao and my body loves it !!!!! I was very happy to discover it as I cannot tolerate any other chocolate. If I eat even the smallest amount of non organic chocolate with sugar etc...I cannot even function , the reaction is so strong. The corporations are desparate because they know vast numbers of the population are waking up and realizing sugars and anything not organic is damaging to the health...AND PLANET...!!!......especially in this overloaded toxic state of the planet. Please let us know how we can lobby against these companies greedy and seriously irresponsible actions. Thank you for your very important work in educating us on these vital issues.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

jennifer howard — Fri, 18 May 2007 04:57:04 GMT

For humans the intellect seems to be our defining characteristic regarding survival. Thus, those of us who use our intellect to guide us through all of our activities, including food purchases and consumption, will probably have the best quality of life and/or live the longest. Keep up on your research people and corporate money mongers shall commence to thin our herds.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

labrat — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:44:31 GMT

I love dark chocolte - but c'mon - vital for my health?

Will I die a horrible early death if I don't partake of the stuff?
Not likely.

Let's put a little perspective on the research shall we?

I'm tired of all the "healthy food".

If you like dark chocolate that's great - the latest buzz is that's it's "good for you" and you can eat it without guilt. Yay me!

If you don't care for the stuff - it's not exactly vital to a long and healthy life.

I love you doc - but your rhetoric is a bit over the top sometimes.

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

mmc88121 — Tue, 15 May 2007 04:19:26 GMT

You would think the chocolate companies would want to capitalize on the health benefits of dark chocolate. Not process the life out of it. But I guess that is why I am not the CEO or CFO of any of these companies.

Mary

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

wetherbee333 — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:20:33 GMT

Dr. Mercola, Thank you so much for the EFT link!

re: Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Katy B — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:07:37 GMT

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re: The Potential Deception and Destruction of Healthy Chocolate

Russ Bianchi — Mon, 14 May 2007 17:42:30 GMT

Amazing.

In 1994, the same CMA petitioned the FDA (SUCCESSFULLY) to eliminate ANY non caloric, or reduced caloric, sweeteners from the definition of 'real chocolate', because that same year MALTITOL (a caustic polyol made from sorbitol and mannitol) was denied Generally Recognized As Safe status, after being proven highly CANCER CAUSING and very diarrhea inducing.

CMA at the time, argued that giving 'real chocolate' users the runs, or KILLING them, was not good for business. Imagine that?

Now the larger entities like Nestle (who does not even roast, grind, or process cocoa beans themselves anymore, having sold off their industrial division PETER's, years ago, to Archer Daniels Midland) or Hershey, see their candy and chocolate brands IMPLODING in sales to better for you energy and functional branded bars, and are scrambling to try to BAMBOOZLE the American public into health-harmful/ CANCER CAUSING, or intestinal tract disruptive, non calorics, into the definition of 'real chocolate', to go after the growing diabetic or diet markets.

Whether such a petition REVERSING themselves, under the phony guise of "modernization", when it's all about profit and market share, succeeds or not, the lobbying attempts FAIL to take into consideration the very HARMFUL health consequences of consuming these FAKE products!!!

Besides taste and functionality win, and these marketing scam artists are failing to heed the lessons of fake Olestra fat in taste/cost/safety.

Fake products that harm, whether called 'real chocolate' or not, do not sell, if too expensive, bad taste/texture, or create bad side effects (short term or long term).

Consume Dr. Mercola's Absolutely Delicious & Truly Nutritious (TM) COCOA CASSAVA BARS, instead!