Decades later, Princess Maria of Spain gave cocoa beans to Louis XIV as an engagement gift, which set off a chocolate craze in Europe.
From 65438 to 0657, "chocolate houses" were built all over Britain, specializing in making and selling chocolate drinks, which became a fashionable and plump product.
1765, our drinks were introduced to America, and the first chocolate factory was born in New England. Gourmet Thomas Jefferson spoke highly of chocolate and affirmed its nutritional value. In modern times, chocolate has received more attention. During World War II, the China government used chocolate to provide nutrition and boost soldiers' morale, because chocolate could provide them with energy and enable soldiers to persist in the next food ration.
To this day, the US Army's rations still include three 4-ounce chocolates, which have been listed as part of the US space program, allowing astronauts to take them into space.
The latest survey published by WebMD, a famous American health website, shows that cocoa beans contain flavonoids, which can improve the function of vascular cells and lower blood pressure. The researchers investigated the cardiovascular system of 470 men aged between 65 and 84, and found that people who regularly eat cocoa beans (including chocolate) for more than 15 years can significantly lower their blood pressure. In addition, even those who often drink, smoke and lack exercise, cocoa beans can help them balance various factors, thus reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.
Kuna Indians living in San Blas Islands of Panama use a lot of salt when processing food, but the incidence of hypertension does not increase with age. Professor Heron Berg of Harvard Medical School found a very strange phenomenon: the average blood pressure of residents on the islands is only 1 10/70. Generally speaking, blood pressure 1 10/70 belongs to the normal range. According to the statistics of the Heart, Lung and Blood Research Center of the National Institutes of Health, in the United States, more than half of people over the age of 60 suffer from hypertension. Once cuna moves to the inland cities, they will suffer from hypertension as easily as other residents. Professor Heron Berg pays attention to two points: first, local people put cocoa beans in the sun. The professor pointed out, "This undoubtedly makes cocoa beans healthier because the fat is removed and the beneficial flavonoids are retained."
According to the chemical composition analysis, cocoa beans contain 10% flavonoid proanthocyanidins, which are oligomers composed of 2~ 10 epicatechin or catechins. Proanthocyanidins, epicatechin and catechins are excellent antioxidants and free radical scavengers, which have the function of protecting cardiovascular system. Flavonoids exist in many plants, including onions, cauliflower and tea. The content of flavonoids in cocoa beans is very high.