Healthy Chocolate: Too Good To Be True? |
Health benefits of chocolate—it would seem a contradiction of terms. Is it possible that a food that tastes this good may not be so bad after all? Nutrition research suggests that chocolate is not the demon once thought, and it may even have some surprising health benefits. Chocolate, which is well-known for its high calorie count and fat content, is by no means considered a health food. But as it turns out, it’s also been unfairly blamed for a variety of health problems. For example, until recently, eating chocolate was thought to cause the development and worsening of acne. But studies by the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the US Naval Academy have shown that in fact there is no link between chocolate and acne. Other research suggests that there may be no dietary link to the development of acne at all. Many people also assume chocolate contains a great deal of caffeine, when in truth it contains quite little. An average size chocolate bar contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. It also turn out that chocolate, which has long been blamed for the development of cavities and tooth decay, may play a protective role instead. Some studies postulate that the cocoa butter in chocolate may coat the teeth and help prevent the formation of plaque. Of course the sugar found in chocolate—like all sugars—does contribute to cavities. Chocolate is a complicated substance with over 300 known chemicals. Some of the most promising ingredients found in cocoa and chocolate products are substances called phenols and flavonoids. These natural antioxidants are found in plants, including cocoa beans, fruits, vegetables, tea, and red wine. Antioxidants are important because they keep the body’s free radicals in balance. Too many free radicals can cause diseases like cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases.
According to researchers at the University of California, Davis, cocoa and chocolate contain more flavonoids than many other commonly consumed foods. These flavonoids are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease in three ways by: - Preventing low-density lipoproteins (LDL, also called bad cholesterol) from oxidizing and clogging the arteries
- Helping the body maintain its levels of antioxidants such as vitamins E and C
- Acting on the body’s platelets to reduce the risk of clotting
All three of these actions help protect the heart and reduce the risk of disease. Another study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that cocoa had higher levels of flavonoids and higher antioxidant activity than red wine, green tea, or black tea. And while researchers admit that the chocolate bars should not be considered health foods due to their high fat and calorie content, they also say that a cup of hot cocoa (lower in fat than a chocolate bar) has more antioxidant properties than black tea, green tea, or red wine. All chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. It is the cocoa butter found in the beans that is the natural source of fat found in chocolate. Since cocoa butter is a vegetable fat, it contains no cholesterol. Milk chocolate, the most popular type of chocolate, contains 20% milk fat in addition to cocoa butter. For this reason dark chocolate or cocoa powder is considered a healthier alternative. The two major fatty acids found in cocoa butter are stearic acid and oleic acid. Stearic acid is a saturated fat—the type that would normally be expected to raise blood cholesterol levels in the body. However, for reasons not yet entirely understood, stearic acid does not appear to have this effect. Oleic acid, which is the same fat found in olive oil, is a monounsaturated fat and has been shown to benefit heart health. Despite the good news on the heart health front, certain facts can’t be ignored. Chocolate contains considerable fat, which packs far more calories than carbohydrates or protein. A 1.4-ounce chocolate bar contains 210 calories, which is a significant contribution to an 1,800–2,000 calorie-per-day diet. And too many calories and not enough exercise can lead to weight gain and health problems. So, while we can all feel a bit less guilty when we do occasionally indulge, moderation, as always, is the key. American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org World Cocoa Foundation
http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org Antioxidants in chocolate. University of California, Davis website. Available at: http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/chocolate/choc1.htm. Accessed December 19, 2003.
Engler MB, Engler MM. The emerging role of flavonoid-rich cocoa and chocolate in cardiovascular health and disease. Nutr Rev. 2006 Mar;64(3):109-18.
The good news about chocolate. World Cocoa Foundation website. Available at: www.chocolateandcocoa.org/. Accessed December 23, 2003. Keen Carl L. Chocolate: food as medicine/medicine as good. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001;20:436-439S. Lee KW, Kim YJ, Lee HJ, and Lee CY. Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine. J Agricult Food Chem. 2003;51:7292–7295. Serum cholesterol. World Cocoa Foundation website. Available at: www.chocolateandcocoa.org/. Accessed December 23, 2003. Vita JA. Polyphenols and cardiovascular disease: effects on endothelial and platelet function. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1 Suppl):292S-297S.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]August 2006 | 
