Chocolate-Need I say more?

Talk about a hectic week! First of all, I almost didn't make it to the deadline of my Thermo assignment plus I still have so many left. The zaniness of the whole week were probably due to the fact I've got class from morning till evening, from Monday to Thursday, and the travelling between classes. (NW-SW..trust me, it ain't pretty..) Come Friday, that would be today, I needed rest(plus I'm having sore throat). However, fate says otherwise, (my blog says it too..hehe..sorry people!) and I'm in the library completing my post on my breakfast. Ok, technically I ate Chipsmore (R) but that IS chocolate, right? Albeit not the RM30.00 per box kind.. Chocolate makes everything seem better..ah..(I wish I was in Willie Wonka's chocolate factory.) I mean, they wrote books(Charlie n the Choco Factory..etc), sang songs(Kylie Minogue..etc) and dress people up in them. Tell me, isn't chocolate the best thing on earth? (Say yes, please)

Oh, btw, did you know I was allergic to chocolate? Ok, not allergic, but I would heat up and develop conjunctivitis if I had too much. But I still ate them anyways.. it's the serotonin level boost that I need (great excuse, use it.) Ok, back to chocolate and what makes them one of the most popular food in the world.

Chocolates originate from the tropical South America(the land of Ricky Martin and all the hot latinos..hehe) but I'm sure you knew about that. However, what is it actually made of I will now write about. Chocolate come from cacao beans, which needs to be fermented, dried, cleaned, roasted and have its shell removed to produce cacao nibs. It is then grounded and liquefied, resulting a pure chocolate liquor(yum!). There are many types of chocolate, mainly divided into milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.

Chocolate on a very stressful week helps boost serotonin levels, like I've mention earlier. What that means is it has an effect in our blood pressure, heartbeat and breathing, and improves our mood. It's almost like exercising..except that you get fat if you eat too much.

In the chocolate, flavonoids(derived from plants and commonly known for their anti-oxidant properties, 2-phenylchromen-4-one) and alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine exist. These organic compounds come together to provide benefits for our entire body system. Alkaloids are compounds made of basic nitrogen componds(amine) and the name is derived from alkaline(Didn't take that long to figure that out, eh?..hehe). They're extracted from their crude form using acid-base extraction. They have pharmacological effect and and are used in medicines etc. but they are mostly harmful to other organisms.(Don't go feeding your pet dog chocolates!). Example of alkaloids are the stimulant caffeine, nicotine, analgesic morphine or the anti-malarial drug quinine(An optical isomer-same structurally but differ in their effect on plane-polarized light..Phew! That's a long one.) .

Phenethylamine is an alkaloid and monoamine. It has 2 different isomers(structures of the compounds are different but same molecular formula). It is a precursor of the neurotransmitter phenylethanoamine. Meaning that it's brain food (Yay!). Theobromine is dimethyl xantine. Physical properties include water insoluble, crystalline and bitter powder.While theobromine and caffeine are similar because they're alkaloids, theobromine has a much milder impact on the human central nervous system. However, it stimulates the heart to a greater degree(kinda like being in love)

Why theobromines are dangerous to animals? They metabolize it slowly and it will remain in their blood stream for up to 20 hours. They may experience epileptic seizure, heart attack, internal bleeding and eventually death(like I said, no chocolate for animals!).

Ok, chemicals in the chocolate that we ingest kinda goes to war with our serotonin levels, like allies. Sometimes, we feel weak and down. That's when the war forces(serotonin levels) are weak since they've used much of their power to get through the day. What they need now is an ally, or allies, if you will. Hence, boosting the levels with stimulants such as theobromine and phenethylamine will raise the troops spirit and they will feel ready to take on the day's journey again. That's chemistry to you.

So, beside the formalities of chemistry, it is actually fun to learn. Just remember to stimulate your interest with topics you love most(Food you eat..etc) and chocolate! :) Have a good day!

Let's start the day

My pre-posting in Chemical Warfare.

Welcome, friends and all to my blog. In the first few post, I've decided to dedicate this blog to the topic I've chosen as the name of my blog. If you have found any problems and questions regarding my blog, feel free to comment me or e-mail me at amrithril@gmail.com.

Formalities aside, let me welcome you to my blog! It is an assignment-based blog that hopefully will grow into a personal-public journal for everyone to read and access.

Sometimes, I think war is overrated. Loss of lives, gun, weapons and heavy artillery contribute to the chaos around us. Some think it's a cause to fight for, and others deem war as a total waste of time. Whatever. If you are here to read about war of conflicts, then this is not it. For a complete definition, argument and subtopics regarding war, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War. I'm only here to present ideas on war in chemistry. Hehe, I still sound formal, but in actual fact, war is everywhere. We can't really wish for world peace because if human race are not at war with others, other species if not living things will be. Ants do it all the time. Plants *groan* are even more brutal when they fight for survival or just being a plain bully. And what, I may add, is the essence of life? (not of djinn-based...hehe*bookworm mode*-in case some are lost, read the Bartimaeus trilogy)

Matter.

Full stop. To find out where it all begins, I've begun to strip apart molecules (not literally-I don't live in CERN) and observing chemical reactions. Think about it. If elements were not just elements, if they were a country of their own, with protons, neutrons and electrons as if they were the trias politica. Judiciary, Legislative and Executive in respective of their power. It makes sense, doesn't it? Can we unlock the secrets of chemistry? Can we understand the play of power between polar and non-polar molecules? Or are you content enough not wanting to delve into this art of war? The true art of war. Of course, please do not attempt war or terrorism based on chemistry because, first of all, we are not elements*cue lame audience laughter*.And second, after every chemical reaction results a state of equilibrium. A state of tolerance and acceptance in sharing electrons and likewise. Since war of the human race have never reached an equilibrium, we ought to educate ourselves on the techniques of peace-making by chemistry. Meanwhile... Recession is hitting hard, many more lives will be affected in the downturn. War is taking toll of the economy and we are never to ignore that. Ever.

When chemicals react, heat is lost, yet amounts of molecules are preserved. Can we say the same for our war? The parallels are both fascinating and appalling. I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I do like writing it. The serious note I started on my pre-posting is a disclaimer. I don't love war, unless it produces a tasty hot chocolate for me to consume. Till then, peace yall!