This plant has been used by human beings for thousands of years with samples found in 5000-year-old pottery discovered in the upper Amazon. The Mayans considered it a gift from the gods and used it in their sacred ceremonies, where it was believed to have mystical healing powers. For the Aztecs, it was worth more than gold and given to their victorious warriors.

We are talking, of course, about chocolate. Even though our relationship with chocolate spans thousands of years we still can’t agree about it. It seems obvious that something so delicious must be bad for us. Can there be any truth to the claims that chocolate can improve our mood, our health and even our libido?

Jonathan speaks to Professor Tim Spector, one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists and author of the diet myth, and Spencer Hyman, one of the world’s leading chocolate experts and founder of the craft chocolate business Cocoa Runners.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:10 - Jonathan’s introduction

01:19 - Lighting round questions, with true/false answers

05:49 - Why certain chocolates might be good

06:34 - What is fermentation?

09:54 - Which kinds of chocolates are good or bad for you?

12:14 - How to figure out the differences in chocolates

14:12 - Why is are chocolates classified the way they are

16:20 - Considerations about dark chocolate

20:38 - Personalized responses to chocolate

23:39 - On chocolate addiction

24:55 - How to taste chocolate

28:10 - Is smell an indicator as to what happens in our microbiomes?

31:52 - 3 things you should know when buying chocolate

33:17 - Description of chocolate in nature

37:15 - Sugar in chocolate

40:29 - Is fruit and nut milk chocolate healthier than dark chocolate?

41:27 - How much chocolate do you need for it to be beneficial?

42:59 - Should I watch out for lecithins in chocolate?

44:52 - Is eating half a bar of chocolate before bed a bad idea?

46:24 - Goodbyes & Outro

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Episode 31: Smart People and Dumb Ideas