The Pros and Cons of eating Chocolate

Over the past 10 yeas studies suggest that the compounds in dark chocolate, flavonoids, have cardiovascular and other potential health benefits. It is thought that the antioxidant, anti-clotting, and anti-inflammatory effects make dark chocolate heart friendly.

Most of the fat found naturally in chocolate is saturated but more than half of that fat is stearic acid, this has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol.

Unfortunately the chocolate bars we have all grown to love is not the healthful chocolate; chocolate used in these studies is cocoa, baking chocolate, or specially formulated dark chocolate.

Even though no one is ready to declare chocolate a health food the University of California, Berkely says “there still may be some health benefits to an ounce or so of chocolate a day”.  

Tips on how to choose the most healthful chocolate

• Look for chocolate that list cocoa beans (or some variation such as cocoa, chocolate liquior, or cocoa mass) as the first ingredient – not sugar. 60 to 75% cocoa is the content to aim for. The darker the chocolate, the less room for sugar.
• Check serving size – a 3oz. bar may contain as much as 450 calories and 30 grams of fat.
• Ingredients like nuts and dried fruit are healthful, carmel and bacon are not. According to this article there is a chocolate bar that contains bacon.
• Cocoa powder is highest in cocoa solids and has more flavonoids if it is not Dutch or alkali-processed.
• White chocolate is not real chocolate — it has no cocoa or flavonoids — just cocoa butter, sugar, and flavorings.

Source: Article from he Wellness Letter, University of California, Berkeley 

Category: Nutrition