Chocolate: The Sweet, Delicious, and Nutritious Snack

the word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec word "xocolatl", which means "bitter water".

[{"selector":"#anim-00a5d208-4ebd-42f1-b9ed-c96bde664574","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-880b1070-07b0-48cf-9e76-bc046f87b72b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 161.68986%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

J. S. Fry & Sons of Bristol, England, were the first to put a solid chocolate bar into production in 1847.

[{"selector":"#anim-dd814c6e-fe5a-4a5d-8057-8fbdc83cec98","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a28af308-8e1a-45d5-8911-9fb22307e10f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.63415%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

chocolate is made from the cacao bean, which contains a compound called theobromine. this is what gives chocolate its unique flavor.

[{"selector":"#anim-f46eced7-06cf-4753-980d-fedb02300eea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e45806b-7fb1-48f2-ab14-2eed35ddbcd7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-110.33435%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

dark chocolate is actually good for you! it contains antioxidants that can help improve your cardiovascular health.

[{"selector":"#anim-211846e7-c591-4f0e-bd1f-397e8e85427f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d1a048e-1106-4f67-9a69-7fc97304a17b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc91be50-6a7e-4a32-86fb-abea1a9d07ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 146.20810%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

chocolate is the most popular flavor of ice cream in the world.

[{"selector":"#anim-86d8998c-1051-44f4-af43-82ba16ceb11a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-67aea064-76c9-41b3-ac79-8f10a307abc4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7b1b3a5-4571-4c13-b37a-a2bd1f29f3f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 192.53466%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

A lower risk of heart disease is associated with the darkest chocolate, which is high in flavonoids, particularly a subtype called flavonols.

[{"selector":"#anim-47d6f780-3db5-4c8d-a6ea-91b40b7b5bbf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e27d0c4-7ae9-4c21-afe4-1e81170772e0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-108.65671%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Per capita, Switzerland has the second highest chocolate consumption in the world.

[{"selector":"#anim-29261084-d763-4081-8eae-38046a8d42d4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62c94f50-70b2-4665-957a-1b92b750c8d6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8cb3070e-aac8-4d01-91cf-8669e7cc73d6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 160.64814%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Chocolate is a good source of antioxidants and can help improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.

[{"selector":"#anim-59c0270e-8055-4505-a969-6805c967ace8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73546172-4889-4374-94ad-3238108daa77","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5c760ac0-cb5d-4440-8fe0-bf1666fc14f0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -537.18287%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Chocolate also contains mood-enhancing compounds that can help reduce stress and anxiety.

[{"selector":"#anim-ee08bd66-c033-4691-9e4b-26c793dd53e6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7dfd37d-7cfd-46c0-8b61-2def1d8da941","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc326e51-f9b5-4448-a2a5-755ebf2a1c2b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -631.4815%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more