Earth Blog

Halloween came early for a selection of lucky pond snails in Canada. A duo at the University of Calgary decided that the best way to test the affects chocolate may have on memory was to feed it to snails. The snails may not have spines but they at least have suitable brains for purposes of this research!

Lee Fruson, an undergraduate student, wanted to test the affect flavonoids have on memory. Specifically the flavonoid called epicatechin which is found in green tea, wine, and cocoa. Humans can be poor test subjects for memory studies because there are many factors that affect our memories.  

Since it would have been inhumane to get snails drunk (besides inebriation has been known to impair memory), and green tea just wasn’t on the menu that day so they decided to use chocolate.

“Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
hippity hoppity
reducing his carbon footrprint
along the way!”

Tomorrow is Easter and Peter Cottontail asks in his famous song that you: “Try to do the things you should!” He also mentions you should be “extra good” and if so “he’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way.”

Here are some tips to make Easter egg-stra special and green! That was the only and last egg pun that will be in today’s post.

Today is the last day of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) annual meeting, which has brought us fascinating news of biomimetics, a capsule that can clean up radioactive materials from liquids, and the most relieving news of all: chocolate is still good for you.

Yesterday, at a symposium called, “Cocoa: Science and Technology,” eighteen reports from international chocolate experts about the food’s main ingredient (cocoa) were given about the health benefits of practically everyone’s favorite candy.

“Chocolate is one of the foods with the greatest appeal to the general population,” said Sunil Kochhar, Ph.D., a Cocoa symposium participant. “The luscious aroma, taste and textures of chocolate have delighted the senses of people in many parts of the world for centuries and make it a well-known comfort food.”

Did you know that white chocolate isn’t real chocolate? White chocolate contains no chocolate liquor which is the main ingredient the treat would need to be considered real chocolate. What it does have is cocoa butter and the FDA says it must have at least 20% cocoa butter and no more than 55% sugar to be called white chocolate. Who other than Willy Wonka could have known that chocolate is a complicated confection?

Dark, bitter and semisweet chocolate is required to have 35% chocolate liquor while milk chocolate must contain 10% chocolate liquor.  Anything less is not up to the FDA’s standards and is likely labeled “chocolate flavored” or could be made of carob. 

Carob has a different texture and taste than chocolate but contains the same amount of calories. It is commonly used in gourmet dog treats to give them a harmless taste of chocolate.