The exhibition "Chocolate as a health food"

TFrom 1st March to 15th September 2011

The exhibition will be spread throughout the whole museum: advertisements, studies, testimonials, the wrappings from chocolate bars and ancient objects such as boxes of medicinal chocolate and chemists jars will be on display. The objects come from collections belonging to Katherine Khodorowsky, President and founder member of the "Marmite à Malice" association, which is both a club for gourmets and a theatrical company that puts on gourmet shows, Dr Hervé Robert, doctor and nutritionist who teaches at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris and the eminent collector Mr Ronzeau from Paris.

The medicinal properties of cocoa had already been discovered as early as 200 BC by the Mayas who used it to treat the liver and protect the skin from sunburn. Much later on, in 1687, Nicolas de Blégny, who was Louis XIV's doctor, stated that "it is well known that chocolate has the power to warm cold stomachs and to refresh those that are too warm". It was also recommended to fortify the weak and convalescents and nowadays chocolate is claimed to have a large number of scientifically-proved properties.

Doctor Hervé Robert, a doctor and nutritionist, lectures at the Faculty of Medicine in the XIII district of Paris and is the co-author of a book called "All about Chocolate", published by Odile Jacob. He emphasizes the fantastic nutritional qualities of chocolate and especially cocoa. He claims that chocolate has three major, scientifically proved advantages:
• Chocolate is a powerful ANTIOXYDANT. Cocoa is rich in polyphenols and contains even more than green tea. Thus, 100 g of dark chocolate with a 70% cocoa content provides around 800 mg and has an extremely high antioxidant capacity of 49,994, according to the ORAC 2010 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) rating table of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).
• Chocolate is CARDIOPROTECTIVE. Cocoa butter is "good for cholesterol" because it increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL). The flavonols present in cocoa inhibit the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol and so prevent atherosclerosis of the arterial walls, thereby promoting vaso-dilation and reducing blood pressure. According to a study that took place over 15 years, people who eat at least 6 to 8 gr of chocolate a day reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 50%!
• Chocolate is recommended for DIABETICS. Diabetics inherently limit their intake of food that is rich in sugar. But as most types of chocolate have a low or average glycemic index (22 for dark chocolate with 70% cacao content) there is no risk of aggravating their hypoglycemia. Therefore diabetics can eat chocolate, especially as certain studies have shown that it actually contributes to lowering resistance to insulin and helps to protect from heart disease.

And of course, chocolate has a well-known reputation for relieving stress too. However, Dr Hervé Robert and his fellow scientists have reservations about this particular property. "Chocolate is a comfort food because it contains a combination of substances such as caffeine, theobromine and theophylline that have a tonic effect. Magnesium reduces stress, phenylthylamine is an antidepressant and anandamide has a euphoric effect. But the average consumption of chocolate per adult in France, on average 11.8 gr a day, does not provide sufficient quantities of these substances to have any real effect in lifting spirits. On the other hand, it is the flavour of chocolate that is really responsible for inducing pleasurable feelings as it encourages the secretion of endorphines whose molecules have a euphoric effect. So a small amount of chocolate can soothe immediately and is a source of well-being!" explains Dr Robert.