CC Speech 7: Research Your Topic - Melting Chocolate Myths

I was doing some thinking and research for my Toastmasters Competent Communicator Manual Project 7 whereby the one of the objective was to research the topic that will be presented. After serious and hard thinking (yap, the whole 10 minutes of it! That is very hard & serious thinking ok!) I suddenly remember a book that I read last year about the myths about chocolate. Apparently, the chocolate industry has become so profitable that those in the industry tries to find ways to ensure that it remain that way. With the world being more health concious, the chocolatier (yah, that should be a good name for those in the chocolate industry) are scrambling to find ways to 'proof' that chocolate is actually healthy and good source of nutrient.

Well, to be very frank, anyone with an ounce of education and health consience will be able to tell you that it is impossible. True, there are minimal health and psychological benefit from chocolate but like any sweet sugary high calories food, the risk outweight the benefits (my personal opinions yah). So, the following are some of the things that I found while surfing the net and doing my research on the myths of chocolate:

Truth supporting chocolate:
Myth: Chocolate is one of the major cause of tooth decay
Truth: The main reason for tooth decay is poor oral hygiene. In other word, cavities are the cause on tooth decay when the food consumed contain fermentable carb got stucked between the teeth for too long.

Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine
Truth: The amt of caffeine in one piece of chocolate is actually significantly lower than that in a cup of coffee, tea or cola drink. For example, a cup of instant coffeee contain between 40-108mg of caffeine where as 1 oz chocolate milk bar contain as low as 6mg of caffeiene.

Myth: Chocolate is the major cause of obesity
Truth: Any food consume in large uncontrollable quantity will cause weight gain and this is including chocolate. "Candy, in moderation, can be part of low-fat eating. In fact, an occasional sweet treat helps you stick to a healthy eating plan." - Annette B. Natow, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Fat Counter and The Fat Attack Plan.

Truth against Chocolate
Myth: Chocolate helps prevent cancer
Truth: This myth came about based on the fact that chocolate contains high levels of certain antixidants, Chocolate MAnufacturers Association's website commented that eating a few Hershey Kisses is almost like eating a bowl of salad as it claims that the antioxidants clean up the free radical that may trigger the cancer cells. But do you realised that there are hundred on studies on human that links diet that is high in fruit and vegetables helps to lower the risk of cancer but no human studies on chocolate and human?

Myth: Chocolate Protects the Heart
Truth: The chocolatiers claimed that there are growing evidence that chocolate helps to prevent heart diseases. Well, it is true that choc contains stearic acid, a saturated fat that does not raise the cholestrol level but what about other fats in the choc???

Myth: Eating Choc DOES NOT make you fat (This is my favourite myth!!)
Truth: Chocolatier claim that "there is no scientific evidence that chocolate consumption is associated with obesity". They also claimthat "no single food causes obesity or weight gain". Sigh, I wonder if the chocolatier thinks that we are all idiot or are all uneducated lot? Choc is one of the food that contain high fat and sugar. Furthermore, choc is easy to overeat especially when small quantity of choc is packed with lots of calories. Combination of this and all the fact that we are brainwash to think that eating choc create the feel good factor is one of the major contributor to weight gain.

Myth: Choc is addictive
Truth: Choc itself is not addictive. But human by nature love sweet things. And hence cocoa with lots of sugar is addictive. Even more so when we are constantly being bombarded with advertisement that state choc equal to taking a break (kit-kat advert), happy marriage (ferraro rocher) and many other advert that aim to brainwash and influence you psychologically.

HHhhhmmm...I dont know about you but I think consumer are getting smarter now and can think for themselves to judge and differentiate between myth and truth (I hope!). For me, anything food, should be harmless as long as taken in moderation. Even fruits which is suppose to be good for health, if taken in large quantity can be harmful and ultimate cause varies health problems.