Delicious and healthy, learn all the health benefits of dark chocolate and how to best enjoy chocolate in your diet.
Eating dark chocolate for optimal health has become a hot trend. First, scientists have answered your prayers and published wonderful findings about the health benefits of dark chocolate. And it seems chocolate is so divine, it wears a halo of health! Food manufacturers are calling for “healthy” chocolate to be added to their food labels. Raw Chocolate Love bars have been marketed with this mission statement: “How chocolate should be: 100% raw chocolate, organic, rich in antioxidants, nourishing the mind, body and soul.” JOJO’s bars claim to be “guilt-free chocolate” . Chocolate products are also beginning to incorporate other functional ingredients. Made with omega-3 oils and other ingredients like CBD and green tea, Good Stuff Cacao is reportedly “one of the healthiest chocolate bars.” In fact, dark chocolate contains more flavanols than regular chocolate and is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the global chocolate market worth more than $100 billion annually, according to Zion Market Research.
But is the best-selling chocolate product really as divine as its manufacturers portray it to be? CocoaVia, a functional chocolate bar from Mars, has been severely criticized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing campaigns that include “promoting heart health” and “now you can enjoy real chocolate fun with real heart health benefits.” The FDA called the claims false and misleading because the products were high in saturated fat. CocoaVia products also carry the statement “Supports brain and heart health.” Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut submitted a petition to the FDA in 2019 asking for the right to make qualified health claims about heart benefits.
Uncovering the scientific basis for the benefits of dark chocolate
Chocolate was brought to us from the Mayans, who ground beans from the cacao tree to create a bitter drink that was eventually used as a traditional medicine to treat everything from heart disease to depression. Today’s positive reviews of chocolate and cocoa products are related to their polyphenols, beneficial compounds also found in many fruits, vegetables, teas and wines. The types of polyphenols found in cocoa products are flavonoids, including catechins, epicatechins, and proanthocyanidins. More than 10% of cocoa powder’s weight is flavonoids, which are particularly potent antioxidants. One study found that cocoa contains more phenolic phytochemicals and higher antioxidant capacity than tea and red wine.1
Chocolate also contains plant sterols, B vitamins, magnesium, copper and potassium. Mars is reportedly behind much of the chocolate research, so chocolate research has yielded some promising results. Chocolate appears to help prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, reduce inflammation and lower LDL cholesterol.
Research review Antioxidants and redox signaling Studies have found that the anti-inflammatory effects of cocoa polyphenols benefit cardiovascular health, may help reduce the risk of diabetes, may protect nerves from damage and inflammation, may have beneficial effects on satiety and reduce weight gain, and may be beneficial on cognitive function and mood.2 In a study published in 2017 Frontiers of ImmunologyPolyphenols in cocoa and dark chocolate have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and may have cardioprotective effects, and consumption of cocoa and dark chocolate in older adults may benefit neurological function, including memory.3 Researchers at Loma Linda University reported in 2018 that consuming cocoa-rich dark chocolate can support brain and heart health by reducing stress and inflammation.4 Experts are quick to point out that the benefits of eating chocolate can be better understood through long-term randomized clinical trials.
Choose the best dark chocolate
While the emerging science about chocolate seems promising, the overall benefits of eating one of our favorite flavor ingredients may not be as easy to swallow as one hopes. The benefits of chocolate and cocoa-containing products appear to be related to their polyphenol content, but today’s standard chocolate confectionery is typically a processed mixture of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sugar, emulsifiers and milk to minimize its polyphenol content. Phenolic content.
Roasting and alkali treatment of cocoa powder can also reduce its flavonoid content. Depending on harvesting and processing conditions, up to 90% of the flavonoids may be lost during processing. What about dark and milk chocolate? In the finished product, the cocoa content varies from 7-35% for milk chocolate to 30-80% for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate typically has twice as much polyphenols as milk chocolate. White chocolate does not.
Let’s not forget that there is plenty of fat, saturated fat, sugar and calories in every bar of chocolate. With 135 to 150 calories per ounce, chocolate’s polyphenol benefits may be easily overshadowed by excess calorie intake and weight gain. Hershey’s Specialty Dark Chocolate Bar contains 180 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 21 grams of carbohydrates, and 18 grams of sugar in the recommended 36-gram serving size (only 3 bars). Does dark chocolate contain caffeine? Yes; 1 ounce of 70-85% cacao dark chocolate contains 20-60 mg of caffeine. Is dark chocolate vegan? Many dark chocolate bars contain no animal products, but some do contain small amounts of dairy – check the label to be sure. So what about the latest news about heavy metals in dark chocolate? Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com have documented the problem and tested chocolate bars to find the ones with the lowest levels. Some products with the lowest levels of heavy metals include Lily’s Sea Salt, Chocolove Strong and Montezuma’s Absolute Black.
New York Times bestselling author Andrew Weil, M.D., says people may benefit from health benefits if they eat an ounce of high-quality dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa several times a week. But people shouldn’t think of dark chocolate as a “health food” but rather as a treat that provides enjoyment and satisfaction. It shouldn’t be hard to do after chocolate maker Cadbury announced a poll showing 52 per cent of women prefer chocolate to sex.
Check out some of my favorite dark chocolate recipes:
Chocolate Melon Muffins
Dark chocolate and cherry nut blend
Easy Chocolate Chia Pudding with Strawberries
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Rhubarb strawberry tart with dark chocolate
Dark Chocolate Cookies with Dates and Walnuts
Roasted Peanut Butter Chocolate Cranberry Oats
refer to:
- Lee, K., Kim, Y., Lee, H., & Lee, C. 2003. Cocoa contains more phenolic phytochemicals and higher antioxidant capacity than tea and red wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51:7292-7295. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640573
- Katz, David L., et al. “Effects of cocoa and chocolate on human health and disease.” Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, vol. 15. No. October 2011, pp. 2779–2811, doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696435/
- Magroni, Sia et al. “Cocoa and dark chocolate polyphenols: from biology to clinical applications.” Frontiers in Immunology, vol. August 2017, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2017.00677. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465250/
- Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. (April 24, 2018). Eating dark chocolate reduces stress and inflammation: Data represent the first human trial to examine the effects of dark chocolate consumption on cognition and other brain functions. Science Daily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180424133628.htm on November 8, 2019
Image: BEST Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
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