Myth Or Fact?

Why do people eat  chocolate and other candies? They like the taste!   There is something for everyone in the market today.  Candy bars with a delicious complexity of textures and flavors, boxed chocolates in a variety of price ranges and centers and solid chocolate blocks, milk, semi-sweet or unsweetened.

Research has proven that chocolate supplies important nutrients at a level of calories considered normal for an average cross-section of the population.

For a large percentage of the world's population, chocolate and cocoa for the matter, is the all-time favorite. Now, it's time to set the record straight on cocoa and chocolate.

MYTH	Chocolate containing cocoa is a non-nutritious food.
FACT	A 1.5 oz. bar of milk chocolate supplies the following percentages of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances: Calcium - 9%; Riboflavin - 9%; Protein - 6%; Iron - 3%; Vitamin A - 2.4%; Thiamine - 2%.   The addition of, for example, nuts or peanut butter increases the nutrient values. Chocolate is nutritious.

MYTH	Chocolate is a major source of dietary sugar for children.
FACT	Studies conducted at Michigan State University show that less than 3 percent of children's total sugar intake comes from chocolate and other confections.

MYTH	Chocolate is high in sodium.
FACT	A 1.5 oz. bar of unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate contains only 1.5 mg of sodium; a bar of milk chocolate -40 mg. Compare this with: 1 cup of whole milk -122 mg; 1 slice of whole wheat bread - 132 mg and one ounce of swiss cheese has 440 mg. sodium.

MYTH	Chocolate promotes tooth decay.
FACT	Research has found that one of the ingredients in cocoa powder, inhibits the activity of the enzyme that forms dental plaque. Therefore, chocolate neither causes nor aggravates acne.  In fact, acne is not primarily linked to diet but is a condition resulting from the extreme activity of the skin's oil glands.

MYTH	The caffeine in chocolate over stimulates children, causing them to become hyperactive.
FACT	One ounce of chocolate has 5 milligrams.  One cup of coffee contains between 93 and 153 milligrams and tea, depending on length of brewing, has between 28 and 44 milligrams of caffeine per cup.  And some soft drinks have between 32-65 milligrams per 12 oz. can. You would have to eat a lot of chocolate bars (about 50-1.5 ounce bars!) to be able to blame a bad night's sleep on chocolate.

MYTH	Eating chocolate and other confections is the major cause of obesity in children.
FACT	Research shows that overweight children consume less sugar bu eat more fats and protein.