Health effects of cocoa and chocolate – Argumentative Essay

Introduction

Sometimes back, chocolate was perceived by many people as a precious and delicious gift to be adored in on special moments like birthdays and holiday. That is no longer the case, today it is part and parcel of life. This is because it is very affordable. People perceived it to be very healthy food. Its reputation has gone up to point where its consumers have it on a regular basis (Fisk)

Chocolate is made from cacao. Cacao is relatively bitter, but it has been valued throughout its history. Human beings came across this plant over 3,000 year ago. It is perceived to have originated from the South America’s rain forest. The name of its fruits is a pod. These pods hold cacao beans which are used to make cocoa. Cocoa is used to make chocolate (Houben and Jansen, p. 318-323)

The media has depicted dark chocolate to have a lot of health benefits. That is not the case. An article in ‘The USA Today’ warns that there is the need of more research to be done regarding consumption of this healthy treat. This is because this chocolate contains huge amounts cream, sugar, and butter. These contents have the potential to break the human diet. The craving effect of consuming these chocolates helps deals with the craving or alleviates the stress of wanting more and more. Such craving will make an individual consume too much of the same. As a result, the health of the consumer is affected negatively ((Jennifer Dimer)

Weight Gain

It is a known fact that excess intake of calories leads to weight gain. Chocolate is known to contain a lot of calories. People who are overweight are at risk of many health problems. These health-related problems include high blood pressure, health disease and diabetes. According to Hershey’s standard a chocolate bar of 43g has 24g of sugar, 13g of fat and a whopping 210 calories. If an individual is able to eat only one or two pieces and not the entire chocolate bar, the person will be a position to not only control the weight but also control the craving associated (Fisk). This is however not the case. Many people outside there are not aware of this fact. Consumers are not able the control the urge to consume more and more. With the craving and lack of control, people consume more chocolate bars. They, therefore, take in a lot of calories leading to excess weight gain and endangering their lives.

Sugar Complications

Chocolate contains a lot of sugar. The large amount of sugar gives it a sweet taste. Had the chocolate lack sugar, it would not be palatable to many people. In fact, it would too bitter for them. This large amount of sugar has negative effects to the dentals. Problems associated with sugar include dental cavities and gum diseases. Since chocolate contains a lot of sugar, consumption of too much chocolate frequently becomes a source of problems to the dentals. There is, therefore, the possibility of the consumer to have dental cavities and or gum diseases. Another health concern of too much sugar in the chocolate is the diabetic question. Taking a lot of chocolate on daily basis increases the risk of diabetes. For a diabetic, taking chocolate has the potential to raise the blood sugar levels by supplying with than what a normal meal could supply. It is therefore very crucial to avoid taking them or lower the consumption of chocolates (Jennifer Dimer)

Gastrointestinal Discomfort

It is undisputable fact that cocoa contains a lot of caffeine. It is also known to be very acidic. Chocolate also contain the same. Nutritionists and other health experts have warned on the increase consumption of acidic food. This is because, an increase in the in the intake of food containing acid lead to an increase in the stomach acid. The increase in the amount of stomach acid leads to inflammation of the existing stomach ulcers (Fisk).  Other harmful effects of increased stomach acid include acid reflux and heartburns. Caffeine is a known as a bowel stimulant. An individual having a diarrhea or irritable bowel disease, caffeine from cocoa or chocolate can worsen the situation. An individual struggling with peptic ulcer disease or gastro esophageal reflux disease will experience a good feeling about chocolate when taking it. The person will regret as to why he consumed it. Its effect is devastating when it hits the stomach (Fisk).

High Potassium

Chocolate is known to contain a large amount of potassium. This is not a problem to many people. The problem with the potassium in the chocolate affects those having kidney disease or those with the adrenal problem. People suffering from kidney or adrenal disease are required to be wary of intake of potassium rich foods. This is because it will lead to an elevated amount of minerals in the body. A 2 oz. piece of chocolate is known to have approximately 200 mg of potassium. If an individual is having a problem that need to check the amount of potassium in the diet, chocolate will be a no go zone. It will be dilapidating for someone having chocolate craving and not aware of the amount of potassium it contains (Stebbing, Gajapathy and Lowdell, p. 457-458)

Chocolate is also known to contain high amount of phytic acid. The acid has a negative effect on the availability of minerals to the body. Phytic acid binds minerals like magnesium, iron, and calcium. By binding them, the minerals become unavailable to the body. Another chemical content that chocolate contains is oxalates. This chemical hinders the absorption of calcium and hence formation of Kidney stones (Stebbing, Gajapathy and Lowdell, p. 457-458)

Conclusion

From the above evidence, cocoa and chocolate have negative health effects to the body. The media should avoid the hype of marketing and advertising it for the sake of commercial gains

References

Fisk, Michelle. ‘Negative Side Effects Of Chocolate | LIVESTRONG.COM’. LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 2014. Web. 3 May 2015.

Houben, Katrijn, and Anita Jansen. ‘Chocolate Equals Stop. Chocolate-Specific Inhibition Training Reduces Chocolate Intake And Go Associations With Chocolate’. Appetite 87 (2015): 318-323. Web.

Jennifer Dimer, L.D.N. ‘Side Effects Of Eating Too Much Chocolate | LIVESTRONG.COM’. LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 2015. Web. 3 May 2015.

Stebbing, Justin, Venkatesh Gajapathy, and Charles Lowdell. ‘Chocolate: Delicious Beauty Or Harmful Beast?’. The Lancet Oncology 14.6 (2013): 457-458. Web.