In 1964 Jose Cuatrecass catalogued 22 species and 6 sections of Theobroma.
Only Theobroma Cacao and Theobroma Bicolor can be used for the manufacture of chocolate. Bicolor being known as a kitchen crop from Mexico.
There are two varieties of Theobroma Cacao, crillo and forastero (although there are hybrids of the two).
Cocoa Butter.
The cocoa bean is 50% fat, called cocoa butter, which is used mainly in high grade chocolate,
cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The main reason for this is cocoa butter's chemical properties:
It melts just below human body temperature and it goes rancid very slowly. With a little effort
it can made to solidify such that it will have a single melting point.
Cocoa Solids.
The remains of the cocoa beans contains various chemicals, including caffeine, theobromine, seratonin and phenylethylamine. It should be noted that these are present in very small quantities in chocolate.
Caffeine is generally well known, and affects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems as a stimluant.
It can cause nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, lessen fatigue, enhance intellect, and is also a diuretic.
Caffeine is addictive, and withdrawl symptoms include a severe headache.
However, chocolate does not contain a lot of caffeine, a cup of cocoa will contain between 0 and 25 mg,
compared with tea (25-100mg) and percolated coffee (50-175mg) this is unlikely to cause a problem unless drunk to excess.
An ounce of milk chocolate contains only 6 mg of caffeine, which is little more than that in a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Theobromine is one a group of chemicals known as methylanthines, also known as alkaloids, and are found in only about 200
species of plant (caffeine is another alkaloid). Although theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, it lacks caffeine's stimulant effect on the central nervous system. In fact, theobromine is virtually inert as a CNS stimulant.
Despite the weakness of theobromine's effect on the brain, many people have mistakenly assumed that it is effective, especially when it is consumed in combination with caffeine, as in chocolate. Researchers found that theobromine administered in a dose of 500 mg (the amount in approximately 11 oz of milk chocolate consumed in one sitting) did not increase pulse rate significantly more than a placebo. Caffeine, when compared to theobromine and the placebo, produced significant CNS stimulation.
Seratonin is a mood lifting hormone which is naturally produced by the brain when a person is happy.
Phenylethylamine is similar to other mood changing chmicals found in the brain. It is a mood elevator and an anti-depressant.
Cholesterol.
The American Heart Association recommends a daily cholesterol intake not exceeding 300 mg. Chocolate is actually fairly low in cholesterol. A 1.65 oz. bar contains only 12 mg! A one oz piece of cheddar cheese contains 30 mg of cholesterol. Weight for weight cheddar contains four times as much colestrol as chocolate.
Other Mammals.
Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxic or lethal to dogs and other domestic animals such as horses because these animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans. The heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected. Early signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. The treatment at this stage is to induce vomiting. Cardiac arrhythmias and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning.
Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine. In general, theobromine levels are higher in dark chocolates (approximately 10 g/kg) than in milk chocolates (1-5 g/kg). Higher quality chocolate tends to contain more theobromine than lower quality chocolate. Cocoa beans naturally contain approximately 300-1200 mg/ounce theobromine (note how variable this is!).
Caffeine is generally well known, and affects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems as a stimluant.
It can cause nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, lessen fatigue, enhance intellect, and is also a diuretic.
Caffeine is addictive, and withdrawl symptoms include a severe headache.
However, chocolate does not contain a lot of caffeine, a cup of cocoa will contain between 0 and 25 mg,
compared with tea (25-100mg) and percolated coffee (50-175mg) this is unlikely to cause a problem unless drunk to excess.
An ounce of milk chocolate contains only 6 mg of caffeine, which is little more than that in a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Theobromine is one a group of chemicals known as methylanthines, also known as alkaloids, and are found in only about 200
species of plant (caffeine is another alkaloid). Although theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, it lacks caffeine's stimulant effect on the central nervous system. In fact, theobromine is virtually inert as a CNS stimulant.