What do we mean by cacao, cocoa, and chocolate? Cacao is the tree (Theobroma cacao) and the beans before processing. Theobroma gave the name to a sister of caffeine present in cacao seeds called theobromine. The terms "cocoa" and "chocolate" have meant various things over time. Today cocoa usually refers to the defatted powder from cacao beans, while chocolate refers to any of the manufactured products of the bean. Even though the cacao tree had its origin in the forests of the Amazon and the Orinoco in South America, it was in Central America and Mexico that cacao trees were widely cultivated and their products used as a beverage.
The Mayas introduced drinks made from the cacao bean to the Aztecs, who called this drink chocolatl. The Spanish found it pleasant and stimulating, enough so that Cortez brought it back to Spain in 1528 and introduced the drink there. In 1606, Antonio Carlotti introduced it to Italy and France. The use of chocolate spread to England, and by the early 1700's, there were about 2000 chocolate houses in London. It was the first stimulating drink that became popular in Europe. Caffeine and theobromine are the two closely related stimulants present in the cacao bean. Chocolate is quite low in caffeine, compared to coffee or even tea, but there is enough to give you a moderate lift. Theobromine, while not very stimulating to the brain, is mildly diuretic.
We have good news for the chocolate lover who's worried about the fat in the chocolate. It's an unusual saturated fat - stearic acid. In a 1991 study, Drs Margo Denke and Scott Grundy at the University of Texas discovered that stearic acid does not adversely affect blood cholesterol levels, as do some saturated fats when consumed in large amount.
(by Dr Gene Spiller & Rowena Hubbard, RD from The Power of Ancient Foods)
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