One of my favorite desserts is chocolate cake but many of us take that wonderful bean called cocoa bean for granted. Without it, many of our favorite dishes and desserts would not exist; therefore, here are some chocolate facts that may surprise you. I always thought of myself as a chocolate know-it-all but many of these chocolate facts surprised me. Enjoy!
Chocolate Facts #1: Every space voyage by America and Russia has included candy bars because they are a good source of energy (for humans, not spaceships).
Chocolate Facts #2: Americans eat an incredible 2.8 billion pounds of candy annually with half of that being chocolate.
Chocolate Facts #3: 50 percent of adults in the US prefer chocolate over any other flavor.
Chocolate Facts #4: 3.5 million pounds of milk is used by US chocolate manufacturers every day to make milk chocolate.
Chocolate Facts #5: Every second, 100 pounds of chocolate is eaten in America. 500 pounds were eaten in the time it took to read this sentence.
Chocolate Facts #6: The world record for the heaviest candy bar is 12,770 pounds.
Chocolate Facts #7: Chocolate milk is as effective as any commercial protein shake and most likely costs less.
Chocolate Facts #8: Milton Hershey, Founder of Hershey’s, was ready to board the Titanic but had to change his plans because of a last-minute business issue that arose.
Chocolate Facts #9: Dark Chocolate can help you lose weight by preventing cravings for unhealthy foods.
Chocolate Facts #10: Cocoa is full of antioxidants and helps slow down the aging process.
11) Chocolate can also help improve your vision.
12) Chocolate is a great cough suppressant and tastes WAY better than any cough syrup.
13) Dark chocolate can help your skin from being damaged by the sun. Thanks again chocolate for all the antioxidants!
14) As good as it tastes, white chocolate is only a confection. It contains no cocoa beans whatsoever.
15) If you’re a teenager or prone to acne, eat all the chocolate you want. Scientists have proven that it doesn’t make you break out.
16) Dark chocolate is awesome for preventing heart disease. Two ounces of chocolate a day keeps the doctor away!
17) Even just smelling chocolate can relax you. It promotes an increase in relaxation-inducing brainwaves.
18) Hershey cranks out over 80 million chocolate “kisses” a day!
19) Mayan civilizations used cocoa beans as currency. The “bean counters” loved adding them up! LOL
20) Chocolate helps control bacteria in your mouth and prevent tooth decay.
21) It also helps keep the “good” bacteria in your gut in check.
22) 40% of all almonds end up in a chocolate product.
23) One chocolate chip provides enough energy to walk 150 feet. 1/4 cup will help you walk a mile!
24) Slowly melting chocolate in your mouth provides a more intense and longer-lasting pleasure than kissing.
25) Chocolate is a natural painkiller.
H/t: Elite Daily
I honestly can’t imagine a world without chocolate. It’s one of those rare ingredients that can be used in everything such as desserts, drinks, and savory dishes like chili.
Please share these interesting facts with your friends and family.
