If you walk past Ernest Williams' house in the spring and notice the distinct smell of chocolate, it's not your imagination — it's the aroma of cocoa bean shells he uses as mulch in his flowerbeds.
To say that Ernest, professor of biology, is a "chocoholic" may be a bit of a stretch, but "I've certainly consumed my fair share," he quipped.
Ernest and his wife, Sharon, director of the Writing Center, have spent family vacations ranking hot fudge sundaes throughout the country (the best are at Bailey's Ice Cream in Boston) and have been known to host friends for mid-winter chocolate pot luck gatherings. According to Ernest, chocolate is the most-craved sweet for three reasons: its rich, sweet taste; its smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency; and its pharmacological properties, or what's in chocolate.
The latter is what intrigues Ernest the most. For the past seven years, he's been following research in agricultural and nutritional journals where scientists have published interesting results about chocolate and why we love it so much.
It's long been known that chocolate contains stimulants, such as caffeine and theobromine. And while chocolate is not an aphrodisiac, as the ancient Aztecs believed, it does contain phenylethylamine, a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love.
Recent research also shows that chocolate contains additional amines — chemicals that function similar to human neurotransmitters causing a behavioral response that simply makes us feel good. In addition, some neuropharmacologists concluded that chocolate has a low concentration of chemicals similar to cannabinoids that are found in marijuana. (See http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arch/10_12_96/food.htm)
"These are all interesting hypotheses and very fascinating," Williams said. "But perhaps the best finding about chocolate is that, contrary to what many people believe, it contains chemicals that are actually good for you."
Indeed, the next time you feel guilty indulging in that Hershey bar, relax. Chocolate contains antioxidants believed to lessen the risk of stroke and certain types of cancer. (But keep in mind that dark chocolate, with a higher amount of crushed cocoa beans, has twice as many antioxidants as milk chocolate.)
For more of Ernest's insights into the mysteries of chocolate, stop by his lecture "Chocolate: What it is and why we like it," during Febfest activities on Monday, Feb. 4, at 4:10 p.m. in the Science Auditorium. And for all you die-hard chocolate fans, check out http://sd.essortment.com/chocolatehistor_ogm.htm for a brief overview of the history of chocolate.
