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Article: The cultural pharmacology of chocolate.(Medical Anthropology)
- Article from:
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Article date:
- November 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The relationship between chocolate and female health in our culture is legendary. How many times have we heard a female friend say they "need chocolate," with a tone of desperation in her voice? Indeed, despite its relatively recent reputation as a confection, chocolate has a long history of use for medicinal and nutritional purposes in various cultures. In this article, I will explore the cultural pharmacology of chocolate, drawing extensively on an excellent review of the anthropology of chocolate by Dillinger et al. (2000).
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The Archaeology of Chocolate Ecstasy
Theobroma cacao, which is native to the Americas, was used ...