...A Chocolate a Day...

Surprising new research has rendered the tasty treat a dietary benefit.

by: Michelle Gross

The smell of it seduces you. The taste lingers on your lips and in your mouth, causing your hand to develop a mind of its own and reach for more. It comes in dark, milk and white, and is consumed in a variety of ways, ranging from chips in a bag to toppings of the most decadent cakes. It enhances your mood, and when you crave it, you have to have it: Yes, the wonder that is chocolate.

In addition to being a popular sweet and multi-billion dollar industry, chocolate has one of the highest antioxidant levels found in food. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans, the fruit of the cacao plant high in potentially beneficial substances. Studies are still in their early stages—so swearing off fruits and vegetables would be a bad idea—but chocolate is believed to be full of the polyphenol antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables and more recently red wine and tea. According to scientists, these antioxidants may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer and may even have some anti-aging benefits.

Essentially, the job of antioxidants is to flush out substances called free radicals, small reactive molecules that cause damage to the body. If these free radicals are left untreated, they can damage cells and lead to disease. According to a study performed by Andrew Waterhouse, wine chemist at University of California-Davis . “It is believed that fatty plaque buildup in the arteries or arteriosclerosis, is caused by oxidation of LDL [cholesterol],” Waterhouse said. By preventing the oxidation of these free radicals and low-density lipoproteins, or LDL cholesterol (known as “bad” cholesterol), antioxidants may prevent heart attacks and strokes. Diets rich in antioxidants also prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. While researchers recommend that people increase their consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, they caution that it is not known how much of the antioxidants are actually absorbed.

In 1996, Waterhouse found that the antioxidants in chocolate might be good for the heart, beginning research into its health benefits. Waterhouse and his team measured the amount of phenols found in cocoa powder, baking chocolate and milk chocolate. They then tested the chocolates for their ability to block LDL oxidation in human blood. His test showed that pure cocoa powder (not instant cocoa, which has very little antioxidants) was the densest source of antioxidants, and milk chocolate the lowest. According to the study, the antioxidants in chocolate are among those absorbed into the blood. A typical milk chocolate bar has the same amount of antioxidants as a 5-ounce glass of wine and prevented the oxidation of LDL just as well.

While some may be skeptical, Waterhouse is not alone in his findings. Joe Vinson, professor of chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania , compared the antioxidants found in chocolate to those in fruit, vegetables, wine and tea, and found that chocolate, by far, had the most. Another study performed at Pennsylvania State University by Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., found that men who ate large amounts of chocolate did not show increases in their cholesterol levels, which were expected because of the saturated fat and sugar in chocolate. According to Kris-Etherton, “stearic acid, the major saturated fat in chocolate, is unique in that it does not elevate blood cholesterol levels in the same way other saturated fats do.” On the contrary, the subjects showed an increase in good cholesterol, which helps prevent heart disease.

Research is helping shed the bad rap chocolate has acquired over time, not to mention making people feel less guilty about the calories. Research also shuts down other myths about chocolate.

The University of Pittsburgh researched whether chocolate causes migraines. Results showed that women who ate chocolate and experienced chronic migraines were no more likely to have a headache than those who consumed carob, which looks and tastes like chocolate. Studies have shown that chocolate is also wrongly accused of causing acne. As for the caffeine, chocolate lovers can rest easy. A one-ounce chocolate bar has less caffeine than a six-ounce cup of coffee.

Chocolism is another myth. While chocolate may have chemicals that act similarly to cannabis in the brain, they are present in small amounts and are probably destroyed in the digestive tract. Mindy Kurzer, associate professor in the University of Minnesota ’s Department of Food and Science, said the desire for chocolate is much simpler than brain-altering chemicals. “People crave chocolate because it tastes great and because they have emotional and psychological associations with chocolate that are positive,” she said.

Chocolate is beginning to take its place in the antioxidant limelight along with the usual good-for-you foods. While it can by no means be called a certified health food, the benefits can ease guilty minds of calorie counters, and support indulgence in a chocolate treat!