What’s all the fuss over dark chocolate?
In addition to its great taste and enduring popularity, dark chocolate may help you fend off heart disease, diabetes, dementia and stroke.
Chocolate has a variety of health-protective qualities thanks to its antioxidant flavonoids. The darker the chocolate, the higher level of flavonols (the main antioxidant found in cocoa and chocolate) it contains.
Dark chocolate has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and may protect the heart by improving the function of cells that line the heart and blood vessels (the endothelium). It also improves insulin resistance, a predictor of diabetes, according to a November 2013 study in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition Metabolic Care.
In addition, cocoa flavonols are absorbed into, and accumulate in, the areas of the brain involved in learning and memory. According to a study in a 2013 Neuro-science and Biobehavior Reviews, long-term flavonol consumption may have protective effects against cognitive decline, including dementia and stroke.
In addition to the gustatory pleasures of enjoying a rich square of dark chocolate, it also may improve mood, with the potential to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to a study in a 2013 Journal of Psychopharmacology.
How it’s made and processed
Chocolate is made from beans harvested from the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao. The ancient Mayans first discovered chocolate’s health potential. They ground the beans into a bitter brew that they used as traditional medicine for heart ailments, depression and other conditions.
Today, chocolate manufacturers remove cocoa beans from their pod and ferment, dry, roast and grind them into cocoa liquor. The beans may be further processed into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla are then combined to make chocolate.
Dark chocolate contains higher amounts of cocoa solids and smaller amounts of sugar than milk chocolate, resulting in a richer, deeper flavor.
When shopping for chocolate, go as dark as your palate allows for the biggest boost of flavonoids and health benefits. Most studies use chocolate with 70 percent or higher cocoa content. Ingredients should include cocoa butter (but not other fats such as palm or coconut oils), sugar, vanilla, and not much else.
Note that just one ounce of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate has 168 calories and 12 grams of fat, so it’s best to keep portions petite — about one ounce. Pair your squares with other flavonoid-rich treats like red wine (in moderation) or a handful of almonds.
An alternative way to the health benefits of dark chocolate — one with fewer calories and fat — is to add natural cocoa powder to your foods. (Try it in hot oatmeal!)
One to two tablespoons of natural cocoa powder provide a similar level of flavonoids as the amount of dark chocolate used in studies suggesting health benefits. The powder alone tastes quite bitter, however, so some sweetener is typically called for.
As for chocolate milk and hot cocoa mixes: those are typically made with Dutched cocoa. Unfortunately, the processing that makes Dutch cocoa also removes most of the flavonoid compounds.
Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com.
© 2014 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.