Chocolate is
Good for You!
(women already knew this)
Chocolate as everyone knows is disgustingly unhealthy;
it makes you fat, it makes you blue. Yucckkk!
Well, let’s back up right there. Because this
bit of pseudo-science isn’t really true. Chocolate is given
a lot of bad press, because of ignorance and disinformation.
It is true that most chocolate candy bars you buy at the store,
or the chocolate drinks you consume from the designer café
outlets, are bad for you. They contain too many calories, too
much sugar (or artificial sweetener, which is even worse) and
a number of metabolically undesirable substances which are the
products of the manufacturing process. But take those away and
the product has very different properties.
Manufacture
Chocolate, if you did not know, is made from the
beans of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. Cacao (mind the spelling
there) is grown only in or near the tropics. After hulling the
beans are fermented and then roasted, to bring out the special
flavour. Finally, the bean is winnowed (the shell removed) and
ground up to produce cacao liquor, a brown sludge which is still
quite bitter in taste. Cacao liquor is 55% fats or “cocoa butter”.
Oleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid account for more
than 95% of the fatty acids in cocoa butter.
From cacao liquor the processing can lead either
to cocoa powder, a very fine dust with most of the flavour properties
of chocolate, or directly to chocolate itself. This is the stage
at which sugar is added, to sweeten the product and flavours
may be added, most notably vanilla. Originally chocolate was
served as a drink and fashionable chocolate drinking houses
were very elite and trendy across Europe in the 17th and 18th
century. Sometime in the 19th century the first solid chocolate
was created. Nobody is sure exactly who thought of it but Fry
and Sons of England were likely the first1.
During processing, chocolate spends much of its
time as a liquid. Viscosity, flow properties, and particle size
are therefore important factors in chocolate manufacture. Changing
the fat content can have a dramatic impact on viscosity. For
example, increasing the fat content of chocolate from 27% to
28% can halve its viscosity. Chocolate viscosity can also be
reduced by adding a small amount of an emulsifier, such as lecithin.
Sometimes chocolate manufacturers subject their
product to a process known as “Dutching”. This entails the addition
of an alkali to the mixture. It darkens the chocolate and is
supposed to enhance the flavour. Not all manufacturers agree
however and many do not use the Dutching process.
The most important influences on flavour are the
species of cacao bean and how it is grown; the fermentation
process; the roasting stage; and flavours added deliberately
by the manufacturer.
The Health Ingredients of Chocolate.
Cacao liquor contains very little sugar, it is
quite bitter. Only added sugar can increase the glycaemic content
of chocolate. If little is added, the resulting proportions
can be relatively safe. Unsweetened chocolate can be too bitter
but is definitely healthier.
You have nothing to fear eating compounds rich
in cocoa butter. All you have to do is close your ears to the
foolish and misinformed propaganda that all fats are “bad” and
you can enjoy your delight with a clear conscience.
In passing it is worth mentioning that chocolate
contains small quantities of essential minerals, such as magnesium,
potassium, calcium, and iron. In addition, there are several
bioactive compounds in chocolate that promote alertness, lessen
pain and promote well-being. These include caffeine, theobromine,
tyramine and phenylethylamine (PEA)2. Thus chocolate may refresh
you but can also cause headaches in caffeine-sensitive individuals.
Tryptophan, an essential amino acid also present, helps lessens
anxiety by producing the neurotransmitter serotonin. Anandamide
acts like a cannabinoid (like Marijauna) to promote relaxation3
And last but certainly not least, chocolate foods trigger the
production of endorphins, the body’s natural analgesics.
Antioxidants
The health-giving properties of chocolate don’t
stop there. Chocolate contains large amounts of recognized healthy
substances called flavonoids, which are natural powerful antioxidants.
So far, scientists have found more than 4,000 flavonoids. Antioxidants
are known to block free radicals and prevent heart disease,
stroke, cancer and other signs of aging. Flavonoids are widely
distributed in plant foods and include:
Lignins (nuts, whole grain cereals)
Proanthocyanins (grapes, pine bark)
Anthocyanins/Anthocyanidins (brightly colored fruits and vegetables,
berries)
Isoflavones – genistein/daidzein (soybeans)
Catechins (tea, grapes, wine)
Tannins (tea, nuts)
Quercetin (grapes, wine, onions)
Naringenin/Hesperidin (citrus fruits)
Some research has shown that a small bar of dark chocolate contains
as many flavonoids as six apples, 4.5 cups of tea, 28 glasses
of white wine and two glasses of red wine. However the actual
levels vary, according to the process used in manufacture. Heating
and Dutching both lower the antioxidant properties markedly.
A definitive study concluded by the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) scientists and their cooperators investigated
the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and procyanidin levels
of six chocolate and cocoa products: natural (unsweetened) cocoa
powders, Dutch processed (alkalinized) cocoa powders, unsweetened
baking chocolates, semi-sweet chocolate baking chips, dark chocolates,
and milk chocolates.
The researchers found natural cocoa powders contained
the highest levels of TAC and procyanidins, which are the dominant
antioxidant in chocolates. Milk chocolates, which contain the
least amount of cocoa solids, had the lowest TAC and procyanidin
levels. Baking chocolates contained fewer procyanidins, because
they contained more fat (50-60 percent) than natural cocoa.
Alkalinization, used to reduce the acidity and raise the pH
of cocoa, such as Dutch chocolates, was found to markedly reduce
procyanidin content. Researchers concluded that chocolates containing
higher amounts of cocoa ingredients have higher procyanidin
contents, therefore, higher antioxidant capacities4.
How Important is That?
A study published in the British Medical Journal
(December 19, 1998; 317:9-10) that showed that chocolate consumption
was actually linked to a longer life!5 That’s pretty startling.
Scientists became fascinated by the residents
of the island of Kuna in Panama. These indigenous people rarely
develop high blood pressure and heart disease, although they
drink about 5 cups of cocoa each day and include it in many
recipes. This isn’t a genetic advantage: if islanders leave
to go to other countries with different eating habits, the risk
of high blood pressure returns to normal, and moreover studies
found it wasn't related to salt intake or obesity6.
There are indications that cocoa flavonoids relax
blood vessels, so reducing blood pressure, and also inhibit
platelet aggregation. One study found that a substance in cocoa
helps the body process nitric oxide (NO), a compound critical
for healthy blood flow and blood pressure7. Another study showed
that flavonols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream
from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make blood platelets
less likely to stick together and cause clots8.
The other study compared how blood platelets responded
to a flavonol-rich cocoa drink with 25 grams of semi-sweet chocolate
pieces and a blood-thinning, 81-milligram aspirin dose. The
research found similar reactions to the two from a group of
20- to 40-year-olds: both the drink and the aspirin prevented
platelets from sticking together or clotting, which can impede
blood flow. In other words, flavonol-rich cocoa and chocolate
act similarly to low-dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood
flow9. Reducing the blood's ability to clot also reduces the
risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Another study showed that chocolate lowers cholesterol,
particularly increasing the healthy safe high-density serum
lipoproteins (HDL).10
Vinson and his colleagues found that the flavonoids
in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic
acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation.11
Enjoy
To enjoy the memory benefits of chocolate, however,
it is important to choose the right kinds. . White chocolate
can claim none of the benefits listed here.
Dark varieties with at least 60 percent cocoa
are best. American brands of chocolate, including dark chocolate,
are made with very little cocoa. Therefore, it is better to
choose French or Belgian brands. Valrhona and Schokinag, for
example, are available in some gourmet and natural food stores.
Thankfully cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers
are beginning to wake up to the possibilities and are taking
precautions to minimize the antioxidant losses.
Obviously there are still party poopers who believe
that it is all too good to be true. You can get all the antioxidants
you need from 5- 6 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, the
British Heart Foundation points out. Detractors denounce the
high levels of saturated fats and sugar in chocolate (actually
chocolate bars). This is all overthrown by the BMJ study, showing
that, taking everything into account, those who eat chocolate
are not at risk and may even live longer than the rest of us.
It’s silky Swiss dark or swallow more apples and
broccoli: you decide!
ENDNOTES/REFERENCES
1. http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_chocolate/
eating_chocolate.htm as on 01/09/06 at 15:05 PST.
2. Hurst WJ, Martin RA, Zoumas, BL. Biogenic amines
in chocolate: a review. Nutr Rep Intl. 1982;26:1081-6.
3. Zurer, P. 1996. Chocolate may mimic marijuana
in brain. Chemical and Engineering News 74(Sept. 2):31 also:
Brain Cannabinoids in Chocolate, Nature, August 22, 1996, pp.
677-678 by diTomaso, E., Beltramo, M., and Piomelli, D.
4. Adamson GE et al. HPLC method for the quantification
of procyanidins in cocoa and chocolate samples and correlation
to total antioxidant capacity J Agric Food Chem 1999;47:4184-8.
5. Lee IM, Paffenbarger R Life is sweet: candy
consumption and longevity BMJ 1998; 317: 1683-1684.
6. K Chevaux, L Jackson, ME Villar, J Mundt, J
Commisso, G Adamson, MM McCullough, H Schmitz, N Hollenberg
Proximate, Mineral and Procyanidin Content of Certain Foods
and Beverages Consumed by the Kuna Amerinds of Panama J Food
Cmpstn & Anal 2001;14:553-563
7. Cocoa, diabetes, and hypertension: should we
eat more chocolate? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
Vol. 81, No. 3, 541-542, March 2005
8. Keen CL, Holt RR, Oteiza PI, Fraga CG, Schmitz
HH. Cocoa antioxidants and cardiovascular health. Am J Clin
Nutr 2005;80(suppl):1S–6S also:
9. Rein D, Paglieroni TG, Wun T, Pearson DA, Schmitz
HH, Gosselin R, and Keen CL. Cocoa inhibits platelet activation
and function Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:30-5.
10. Kris-Etherton PM, Derr JA, Mustad VA, Seligson
FH, Pearson TA. A milk chocolate bar/day substituted for a high
carbohydrate snack increases high density lipoprotein cholesterol
in young men on an NCEP/AHA Step One diet. Am J Clin Nutr supplement.
December 1994.
11. Vinson JA, Proch J, Zubik L. Phenol antioxidant
quantity and quality in foods: cocoa, dark chocolate, and milk
chocolate J Agric Food Chem. 1999 Dec;47(12):4821-4.
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