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Josh Bomser, College of Education and Human Ecology

February 3, 2010

Are there any health benefits from eating chocolate?
Chocolate and chocolate-related products have had a long history of use in the treatment of some chronic diseases, despite a lack of supportive scientific data. Believe it or not, chocolate was thought to be useful in the treatment of diseases ranging from cholera to yellow fever. Interestingly, recent experimental and epidemiological evidence indicates that moderate chocolate consumption, especially dark chocolate, may provide protection against heart disease by reducing inflammation, high blood pressure and platelet aggregation. It is thought that a group of compounds known as flavonoids, found in chocolate, may be responsible for these potential health benefits. These compounds can function as antioxidants in our bodies and prevent damage to critical tissues. Certainly more studies are necessary to confirm these findings and identify the specific compounds in chocolate and the ways they work.

It is important to note that many fruits and vegetables contain high levels of flavonoid compounds, similar to those in chocolate. There is a strong and consistent body of scientific literature to suggest that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption can reduce our risk for many chronic diseases including heart disease and cancer. It is recommended that five or more servings of fruits and vegetables are consumed daily. Perhaps one could consider eating dark chocolate-covered strawberries to get the best of both worlds.

How much chocolate should be consumed in the average diet?
Unfortunately, there are no specific recommendations for chocolate consumption in our diets. Many chocolate-containing products also are high in sugar and fat, and therefore consumption of these types of foods should be limited. It is interesting to note that a major type of saturated fat found in chocolate, stearic acid, does not significantly raise bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in our bodies. Nevertheless, moderate consumption of chocolate is recommended and should be enjoyed in the context of a balanced diet. Visiting the Web site MyPyramid.gov is a great way to personalize your eating plans and see how chocolate and other types of sweets can fit into a healthy diet.

Are we better off health-wise by keeping chocolate out of our diet completely?
Unless instructed by a medical professional, I see no reason why limited chocolate consumption cannot become part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Eating should be an enjoyable experience and chocolate can certainly add to this enjoyment.

Are there negative implications of short periods of gorging, such as during Valentine’s Day?
I do not recommend gorging on any type of food but do understand that holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, can promote such behaviors. Understand that the average chocolate bar can contain between 200-400 calories, while kissing can only burn about 2 calories per minute. If you do the math, it would take anywhere from 100 to 200 minutes of kissing to burn the calories consumed in the average chocolate bar. That is a lot of kissing even for the most amorous couples. If you are interested in learning more about the health benefits of chocolate, I recommend the book, Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America’s Favorite Passion by Rowan Jacobsen.

Dave Kraybill, Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics

January 19, 2010

How does climate change affect the people of Africa?
The most important human impact of climate change in Africa is increased vulnerability to food insecurity. More than 60 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on agriculture for their livelihood and grow most of their own food.  Agriculture there is largely rain-fed, so if rains start late or taper off during the growing season, there is widespread malnutrition and hunger. Incomes are low and most households have little cash to purchase food if crops fail.

Climate scientists predict that if global temperatures rise, places in SSA with historically high rainfall will get more rain and places with historically low rainfall will get less. The incidence of extreme weather events such as torrential downpours, flooding and drought has increased and is predicted to increase even more in coming decades. As temperatures rise, vector-borne diseases such as malaria spread to new areas. On the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, where I am conducting a multi-year study with OSU colleague Andy Keeler on the human consequences of climate change, residents report malaria now occurs at altitudes where it was rare in the past.

Why should people in the US be concerned?
In the view of most climate scientists, the primary driver of global warming in the past century is greenhouse gas emission. It is indisputable that global warming threatens human well-being much more in tropical than temperate climate zones. Africa contributes only 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it faces a disproportionate share of the risk of damage from climate change. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change estimates the annual damage in Africa from climate change could represent 5 to 10 percent of its GDP.

The US is the top emitter of carbon dioxide on a per-capita basis and the second from the top on a total basis. If further global warming occurs, it is likely to bring a mix of positive and negative effects in the US and other parts of the temperature zone but almost entirely negative effects in SSA. This unequal burden of risk is economically inefficient, ethically questionable and damaging to global security. If food insecurity rises in SSA, political tensions will grow, governments will become less stable, instability will spread across national borders and global stability will be threatened.

How does the focus on climate change relate to the broader issues in Africa, especially economic development?
When economic growth is broad-based, development is a dynamic process that makes people, communities and countries adaptable to changing circumstances. The institutional changes and public and private investments needed to reduce poverty also help Africans to adapt to climate change. Examples of investments that increase incomes and, at the same time, reduce the negative impacts of climate change include soil and water conservation techniques, irrigation, water harvesting, off-farm employment, crop insurance and microfinance. A way for the US and other high-income countries to compensate for Africa’s disproportionate burden of climate-change risk is to invest in the development and dissemination of adaptive technologies and institutions in Africa. The result will be saved lives, greater global stability and an expanded export market for American goods and services.

Gregory Travalio, Law

June 3, 2009

 

Why is there such a debate over what constitutes torture or enhanced interrogation techniques?

 

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