Ancient Roots in Mesoamerica
Long before chocolate became a global indulgence, it was a medical ingredient in Mesoamerica. The Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations used cacao in various medicinal preparations.
The 1590 Florentine Codex documented how the Aztecs brewed cacao with silk cotton bark to treat infections and combined it with roots to manage diarrhea and coughs. The 1552 Badianus Manuscript listed cacao remedies for angina, dysentery, hemorrhoids, and fatigue. Cacao also masked bitter medicines, including fever remedies and materials believed to be fossilized bones.
European Adaptation and Reinvention
Chocolate reached Europe in the 16th century and was soon classified both as a luxury and a drug. European doctors, influenced by humoral theory, used chocolate’s adaptable nature—”cold” by classification, but adjustable to hot or cold uses—to treat imbalances.
Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma’s 1631 treatise described chocolate as cleaning teeth, curing stones, and protecting against disease. In 1685, Philippe Sylvestre Dufour included medicinal recipes using cinnamon, chilies, and orange flower water. By the 1700s, doctors used chocolate to help patients regain weight and strength after illnesses like smallpox.
From Battlefield to Apothecary
During the U.S. Civil War, soldiers received chocolate as an energy source. European physicians also used it as a delivery medium for other substances. D. de Quélus, in the 18th century, suggested mixing chocolate with powders made from millipedes, earthworms, and even eel organs.
Chocolate was also included in treatments for measles and syphilis. In 1796, one writer claimed it could delay white hair growth. By 1864, its use in various concoctions for venereal disease had been recorded.
Scientific Insight and Modern Shifts
Some chocolate benefits may have stemmed from preparation methods—heating cacao beverages likely killed pathogens. Cacao’s natural flavonoids were preserved in early preparations but declined in the 1800s with the rise of “dutching,” which removed its acidity and healthful compounds.
By then, chocolate had become a sweetened, mass-produced product, less useful as a medicinal agent. Nonetheless, a 2006 study suggested that chocolate might have effects similar to aspirin, and theobromine—an active compound in cacao—has been explored as a treatment for circulation and erectile dysfunction.
Long before it became a sweet treat, chocolate was used as medicine by ancient civilizations.
The Olmec, Maya, and Aztecs prepared cacao drinks to treat infections, stomach issues, and even seizures.
Later, Europeans adopted and adapted these uses…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/TqgoqnEiBz
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) July 7, 2025