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Review
. 2019 Dec 6;16(24):4960.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244960.

Chocolate, "Food of the Gods": History, Science, and Human Health

Maria Teresa Montagna  1 , Giusy Diella  1 , Francesco Triggiano  1 , Giusy Rita Caponio  2   3 , Osvalda De Giglio  1 , Giuseppina Caggiano  1 , Agostino Di Ciaula  2 , Piero Portincasa  2
Affiliations
Review

Chocolate, "Food of the Gods": History, Science, and Human Health

Maria Teresa Montagna et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Chocolate is well known for its fine flavor, and its history began in ancient times, when the Maya considered chocolate (a cocoa drink prepared with hot water) the "Food of the Gods". The food industry produces many different types of chocolate: in recent years, dark chocolate, in particular, has gained great popularity. Interest in chocolate has grown, owing to its physiological and potential health effects, such as regulation of blood pressure, insulin levels, vascular functions, oxidation processes, prebiotic effects, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism. However, further translational and epidemiologic studies are needed to confirm available results and to evaluate other possible effects related to the consumption of cocoa and chocolate, verifying in humans the effects hitherto demonstrated only in vitro, and suggesting how best to consume (in terms of dose, mode, and time) chocolate in the daily diet.

Keywords: Food of the Gods; Theobroma cacao; cardiovascular effects; chocolate; cocoa; nitric oxide.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The processing of chocolate from cocoa beans.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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