As you can tell by now, the ideas, thoughts, and opinions of others when it comes to nutrition are not well received by me. Just because you read something in a magazine, doesn’t make you a nutrition expert. I really can’t emphasize this enough.
When I’d hear or read anything regarding chocolate and its seemingly-equivocal health claims, I’d think, Psh. Yeah right. Eat chocolate to be healthy. YEAH RIGHT. THIS is why America is obese, because people think that things like chocolate are the solution.
Well, it turned out, for the first time ever, I misjudged the situation.
I was assigned to give a presentation about chocolate in relation to cardiovascular disease. It wasn’t my top choice, but I would have been happy with any of the topics. You can’t go wrong in a class called, Phytochemicals.
There are several different types of chocolate and I’ve broken them down for you in the following table:
Type:
|
About
|
Cacao
|
A seed (high in fat) from the cocoa tree fruit
|
Cocoa Liquor
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A paste made from ground, roasted, shelled and fermented cocoa beans (% cacao on food packaging)
|
Cocoa Powder
|
The cocoa liquor with cocoa butter removed, making a powder
|
Dark Chocolate
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A solid food made by combining cocoa liquor with cocoa butter and sugar; amount of liquor determines darkness of chocolate
|
Milk Chocolate
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The addition of condensed or powdered milk to the chocolate mixture
|
Semi-sweet Chocolate
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Referred to as ‘dark’ chocolate, but is only dark if it contains 35% chocolate liquor by weight
|
White Chocolate
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Contains only cocoa butter (at least 20% by weight) combined with sweeteners and dairy ingredients
|
The polyphenols found in chocolate are what makes it healthy. Polyphenols are found in the cocoa liquor. The more cocoa liquor, or the ‘darker’ the chocolate, the better it is for you. Dark chocolate also has less sugar than the other chocolate varieties. Milk chocolate contains a fraction of the polyphenols, so it is not nearly as good for you. White chocolate has always been my favorite type of chocolate; it has NO health benefits.
Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure, lower your LDL-cholesterol, raise your HDL-cholesterol, decrease biomarkers for inflammation, decrease your risk for plaque build-up, and fight against free radicals.
That is a very simplified summary of what chocolate does to your body. My conclusion after completing my research is that chocolate really is a health food.
Before you go out and start binging on chocolate, there are a few disclaimers:
· Chocolate is high in saturated fat
· Chocolate is high in calories
· The more benefits are seen in the darkest chocolates
As far as the saturated fat goes, the saturated fat in chocolate is structurally similar to the fat found in olive oil, so it is not as damaging as other saturated fats.
If you eat ANYTHING in the wrong amount, it’s going to lead to weight gain. Chocolate should still be eaten in the portion of a dessert, not a vegetable.
If you’re going to eat chocolate, I recommend eating the darkest chocolate you can tolerate. I would choose a dark chocolate that is sweetened with dried fruit pieces. The dried fruit will have different polyphenols than the chocolate and will likely have a synergistic effect on protecting your body from free radicals and developing heart disease.
And remember, nothing gives you optimal health like a healthy diet AND exercise J
