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!