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Rowan Jacobsen
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Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion Paperback – October 1, 2003

by Rowan Jacobsen (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
Detailing the positive physical and psychological effects of chocolate, this book explores its colorful history, botany, and chemistry. Explaining the science behind chocolate, common myths about chocolate—that it causes acne, allergies, migraines, and hyperactivity—are dispelled, and its benefits—tannins in chocolate actually help prevent cavities—are revealed. Providing medical information relating to chocolate's high antioxidant levels and beneficial effects in terms of heart disease, cancer, aging, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease, the book also includes information regarding chocolate's mental health benefits. The included recipes provide a multitude of healthy ways to eat chocolate, from flourless chocolate cake to Mexican mole, and a comprehensive list of resources shows chocolate lovers where to find the best-quality chocolates around the world.
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  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Invisible Cities Press LLC
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.37 x 7.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1931229317
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1931229319
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Chocolate lovers rejoice! Finally, an in-depth and delightful look at the healthy side of one of the most enchanting delicacies on earth.” —Deirdre Heekin, author, Pane e Salute

From the Inside Flap

"I do recommend a piece of good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack . . . it is a source of polyphenols, the same type of antioxidants found in red wine, and the fat it contains is stearic acid, which doesn t affect cholesterol levels. The latest good news for chocolate lovers comes from a study indicating that flavonoids in chocolate are good for your heart. These compounds reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. By eating a 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar, you get the same amount of these protective compounds as in a 5-ounce glass of Cabernet Sauvignon."
Andrew Weil, M.D.

"Nitric oxide plays such an important role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and, in turn, cardiovascular health. If our research results continue to support a link between consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and nitric oxide synthesis, there could be significant implications for public health."
Norman Hollenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School

"Chocolate contains large amounts of the same beneficial plant chemicals that now have burnished the reputation of tea. In fact, just one ounce of chocolate has about as much of these plant chemicals as a cup of brewed black tea. One large, ongoing study of the benefits of exercise found that men who eat chocolate in moderation live longer than those who eat none."
University of California-Berkeley Wellness Letter

"We already know that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables results in an increase of antioxidants in our blood. We believe chocolate consumption may have the same effect. We forget that chocolate is derived from cocoa beans the fruit of the cacao tree a fruit that is a rich source of these potentially beneficial substances."
Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

"Chocolate just stands out [for antioxidant content]. It s much higher than anything else."
Joe Vinson, Ph.D., University of Scranton

"Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension."
Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Institute of Food Research

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Invisible Cities Press LLC (October 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1931229317
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1931229319
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.37 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

About the author

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Rowan Jacobsen

Rowan Jacobsen

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Rowan Jacobsen is the James Beard Award-winning author of A Geography of Oysters, Fruitless Fall, The Living Shore, American Terroir, Shadows on the Gulf, Apples of Uncommon Character, The Essential Oyster, and Truffle Hound. He has written for the New York Times, Harper's, Outside, Mother Jones, Orion, Scientific American, Smithsonian, Newsweek, Yankee, and others, and his work has been anthologized in The Best American Science & Nature Writing and Best Food Writing collections. He was an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow, writing about endangered diversity on the borderlands between India, Myanmar, and China, and a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. He has performed with Pop-Up Magazine, lectured at Harvard and Yale, and appeared on CBS, NBC, and NPR. Learn more at www.rowanjacobsen.com

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
13 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers appreciate the book's health benefits, noting that chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries. The information quality receives positive feedback, with customers finding it interesting and well-presented.

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4 customers mention "Health benefits"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the health benefits of chocolate described in the book, noting that it has more antioxidants than blueberries.

"...It is amazing to learn that chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, oranges, onions or eggplant...." Read more

"...to be the best source of published information about the health benefits of chocolate...." Read more

"...The most interesting fact was that chocolate is the highest food in antioxidants and how antioxidants neutralize free radicals!..." Read more

"...People need to educate themselves more about the many health benefits of chocolate. Not the sugary version but the REAL chocolate...." Read more

3 customers mention "Information quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and interesting, with one customer noting how it draws readers into each chapter with tantalizing details.

"...~ pg. 8 "Chocolate Unwrapped" is an intriguing little book that will completely convince you that chocolate is a healthy food...." Read more

"This continues to be the best source of published information about the health benefits of chocolate...." Read more

"...also worked for a small chocolate company, I though this book was absolutely interesting!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • The Rebecca Review
    5.0 out of 5 stars No More Guilt - Eat Chocolate Daily for Your Health
    Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    "For 95 percent of its three-thousand-year history, chocolate has been a drink and a health food." ~ pg. 8

    "Chocolate Unwrapped" is an intriguing little book that will completely convince you that chocolate is a healthy food. Dark chocolate that is! It is amazing to learn that chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, oranges, onions or eggplant.

    Rowan Jacobsen has a pleasant writing style and draws you into each chapter with tantalizing details. There is a brief discussion about caffeine, theobromine, serotonin, tryptophan, phenylethylamine and anandamide.

    If you are concerned about labor practices and environmental issues, Rowan Jacobsen gives information on where to buy the best chocolates so you can eat them guilt free. There is also a chapter of recipes which include a few savory recipes along with the sweet.

    Overall, I loved this book and felt the information was presented in a very pleasing manner. It is well organized and covers all the main facts you could ever want to know about how chocolate is made.

    If you read this book and are still interested in more information, I can recommend:

    Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World's Greatest Food

    Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

    The True History of Chocolate

    Chocolate: An Exquisite Indulgence (Miniature Edition)

    To try some of the best chocolates in the world:

    Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Signature General Assortment

    Dagoba Chai (37%) Crystalized Ginger, Chai Spices Bar, 2.0-Ounces Bars (Pack of 12)

    ~The Rebecca Review
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jdawg
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    not as good as american terroire.
    Helpful
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  • Marcel Cooper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Chocolate Health Information
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This continues to be the best source of published information about the health benefits of chocolate. More information should be in the pipeline coming from research schools like UC Davis, but in the meantime this is a really good start.

    As with all diet and nutritional books, take this information based on limited research with a grain of salt.
    Helpful
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  • HR
    2.0 out of 5 stars Dry and dull
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Book seems very heavy handed and preachy. Did not get far, turned off by pseudo-academic fuffle. Was looking for an interesting read, don't think this is it.
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  • Angela Villa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely riveting!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    As someone who had visited several cacao farms and also worked for a small chocolate company, I though this book was absolutely interesting! The most interesting fact was that chocolate is the highest food in antioxidants and how antioxidants neutralize free radicals! Chocolate is also the highest food in magnesium which helps regulate the heart beats among hundreds of other uses!
    Helpful
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  • Mariette Vedder
    5.0 out of 5 stars of the GOOD Dark Chocolate
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Well, being an addict myself and yes, of the GOOD Dark Chocolate, I only can highly recommend reading this!
    People need to educate themselves more about the many health benefits of chocolate. Not the sugary version but the REAL chocolate.
    Find out too!
    Mariette's Back to Basics
    Helpful
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  • Adrenalin Streams
    3.0 out of 5 stars Your starter book on the subject
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2009
    You need to take some of the more ecstatic conclusions drawn about the health benefits of chocolate contained in this book with a significant pinch of salt. However, unlike in some other books that purport to describe the health benefits of chocolate, at least this one does refer to scientific studies that have been carried out to back up claims, even if it is not always clear exactly which studies are being referred to. By and large the author does not overestimate the potential health benefits of chocolate, but occasionally she uses sweeping statements in favour that are at odds with the scientific evidence she has just cited. That being said this is not a bad book. I would recommend it as a starter on the subject - then use the bibliography at the back of the book to go into more detail. Scientifically proved benefits of chocolate (in the amounts normally consumed by adults) are still relatively limited, but, the fact that science seems to indicate that such a wonderfully indulgent product as chocolate (and I refer to high cocoa solid chcolate here, not milk chocolate) is at worst neutral, rather than bad for you, should be seen as good news in itself!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Tonny Arias
    5.0 out of 5 stars service was excelent
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    was an excelent service keep going in the market with your service, i would like to have more word to express in favore to you job
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Adrenalin Streams
    3.0 out of 5 stars Starter book on the subject
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    You need to take some of the more ecstatic conclusions drawn about the health benefits of chocolate contained in this book with a significant pinch of salt. However, unlike in some other books that purport to describe the health benefits of chocolate, at least this one does refer to scientific studies that have been carried out to back up claims, even if it is not always clear exactly which studies are being referred to. By and large the author does not overestimate the potential health benefits of chocolate, but occasionally she uses sweeping statements in favour that are at odds with the scientific evidence she has just cited. That being said this is not a bad book. I would recommend it as a starter on the subject - then use the bibliography at the back of the book to go into more detail. Scientifically proved benefits of chocolate (in the amounts normally consumed by adults) are still relatively limited, but, the fact that science seems to indicate that such a wonderfully indulgent product as chocolate (and I refer to high cocoa solid chcolate here, not milk chocolate) is at worst neutral, rather than bad for you, should be seen as good news in itself!
    Report