Cacao's health benefits are related to natural
compounds in the bean, including epicatechin, which
has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,
and resveratrol, known for its neuroprotective
effects
When selecting chocolate, look for higher cacao and
lower sugar content. Your best bet is raw cacao
nibs, which can be eaten whole or ground into powder
for use in recipes
Many studies have confirmed that cacao can benefit
your heart, blood vessels, brain, nervous system,
and helps combat diabetes and other conditions
rooted in inflammation
By Dr. Mercola
Of all the treats available, chocolate is one of the most
craved foods in the world. The first solid chocolate bar, made
from cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar, was introduced by the
British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons in 1847, but the
history of chocolate goes back at least 4,000 years.1
Pre-Olmec cultures in Mexico produced chocolate as early as
1900 B.C. Originally, it was consumed as a bitter beverage. The
cacao beans were fermented, roasted, and then ground into a
paste that was mixed with water and spices like chili peppers
and vanilla, sweetened with honey.
Throughout its history, chocolate — "the food of the Gods" —
has remained a symbol of luxury, wealth, and power. During the
14th century, the Aztecs and Mayans even used cacao beans as
currency.
Research has also revealed chocolate has some rather
impressive health benefits, provided you're willing to give up
the now-familiar sweetness of modern day milk chocolate.
The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs valued cacao for its mood
enhancing and aphrodisiac properties, and it was typically
reserved for the ruling class.
In the 17th century, cocoa and chocolate were considered
potential medicine, and historical documents in Europe reveal
they were used to treat angina and heart pain.2
Not All Chocolate Is Created Equal
Raw cacao is actually quite bitter, not sweet, due
to the nearly 400 polyphenols that are present. When we're
referring to the health benefits of chocolate, this is
the chocolate we're referring to. Americans consume an estimated
12 pounds of chocolate per capita each year.3
Unfortunately, the vast majority of that is in the form of
milk chocolate candy, which contains very minute amounts of
healthy cacao, and loads of
sugar. The milk added to milk chocolate can also interfere
with your body's ability to absorb the beneficial antioxidants
(polyphenols) in the chocolate.
Chocolate Terminology
To get off on the right foot, it may be helpful to understand
the distinction between
cacao, cocoa, and chocolate:4
Cacao: Refers to the plant, a small
evergreen tree of the species Theobroma cacao, and its dried
seeds, also known as cacao beans or cocoa beans, prior to
processing.
If you're after health benefits, raw cacao nibs are what
you're looking for. Ideally, buy them whole and grind them
yourself (a coffee grinder can be used for this) when using
it in recipes.
Alternatively, you can eat them whole, just like you'd
eat conventional chocolate chips. A healthy amount would
probably be around ½ to 1 ounce per day. I personally grind
1 tablespoon of raw cacao nibs twice a day and put them into
my smoothies.
Cocoa: Refers to the roasted cacao,
ground into a powder from which most of the fat has been
removed.
Cocoa butter: The fat component of the
cacao seed.
Chocolate: The solid food or candy made
from a preparation of roasted cacao seeds; if the cacao
seeds are not roasted, then you have "raw chocolate."
When selecting chocolate, look for higher cacao and lower
sugar content. In general, the darker the chocolate, the
higher the cacao content.
However, since cacao is bitter, the higher the percentage
cacao, the more bitter it is (the polyphenols are what make
the chocolate bitter, so manufacturers often remove them.
But, it's those polyphenols that are responsible for many of
chocolate's health benefits).
To counteract the bitterness, most chocolate is
sweetened, so it's a matter of balancing nutritional benefit
with palatability. For health benefits, choose chocolate
with a cacao percentage of about 70 or higher.
"White chocolate" contains no cocoa at
all; it's just a health-zapping mix of pasteurized milk and
sugar.
Cocoa Contains Hundreds of Health-Promoting Chemicals
Cacao's benefits are related to naturally occurring compounds
in the bean, including epicatechin (a
flavonoid) and resveratrol, the former of which has both
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is thought to
help shield your nerve cells from damage.
Resveratrol, a potent
antioxidant, is known for its neuroprotective effects. It
has the ability to cross your blood-brain barrier, which allows
it to moderate inflammation in your central nervous system
(CNS).
This is significant because CNS inflammation plays an
important role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Recent science also shows resveratrol is an exercise mimic
and produces similar benefits as exercise to the mitochondria by
stimulating AMPK and PKC-1alpha which increase mitochondrial
biogenesis and mitophagy.
Norman Hollenberg, a professor of medicine at Harvard who has
spent years studying the Kuna people of Panama (who consume up
to 40 cups of cocoa a week), believes epicatechin is so
important it should be considered a vitamin.5
The Kuna have less than a 10 percent risk of stroke, heart
failure, cancer and
diabetes, which are the most prevalent diseases ravaging the
Western world.6
Indeed, many studies have confirmed that cacao can benefit
your heart, blood vessels, brain, nervous system, and helps
combat diabetes and other conditions rooted in inflammation.
One 2012 meta-analysis7
found that eating chocolate could slash your risk of
cardiovascular disease by 37 percent and your stroke risk by
29 percent.
Another meta-analysis8
published that same year found that cocoa/chocolate lowered
insulin resistance, reduced blood pressure, increased blood
vessel elasticity, and slightly reduced LDL.
In one study,9
patients consuming 100 grams of flavanol-rich dark chocolate
for 15 days showed decreased insulin resistance.
According to a paper10,11
published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular
Longevity, cocoa polyphenols may have specific benefits for
cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, metabolic
disorders, and cancer prevention. The authors note that:
"Cocoa contains about 380 known chemicals, 10 of
which are psychoactive compounds ... Cocoa has more
phenolics and higher antioxidant capacity than green
tea, black tea, or red wine ... The phenolics from cocoa
may ... protect against diseases in which oxidative
stress is implicated as a causal or contributing factor,
such as cancer.
They also have antiproliferative,
antimutagenic, and chemoprotective
effects, in addition to their
anticariogenic effects."
Chocolate and Human Health
A 2013 paper12
in the Netherlands Journal of Medicine also reviews the many
health benefits of cacao, noting that many consider it a
"complete food," as it contains:
Healthy fats
Antioxidants
Nitrogenous compounds, including proteins,
methylxanthines theobromine, and caffeine (central nervous
system stimulants, diuretics, and smooth muscle relaxants.
Theobromine is the ingredient that can cause heartburn in
some individuals; on the other hand, it also inhibits
persistent cough by reducing vagus nerve activity13)
Minerals, including
potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium
Valeric acid (which acts as a stress reducer despite the
presence of stimulants)
The following table highlights the wide range of positive
health benefits science suggests are conferred by the cocoa
bean.14,15,16
Anti-inflammatory17
(including 17 percent reduction in C-reactive protein)
Anti-obesity effects, possibly due to the
polyphenols' ability to suppress fatty acid synthesis
while stimulating cell energy expenditure in the
mitochondria23
Cardioprotective,24
including lowering blood pressure,25
improving lipid profile, and helping prevent atrial
fibrillation26
Improved liver function for those with cirrhosis27
Improves skin condition, and protection against UV
damage28
As noted in the Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
paper,37
the nutrients found in raw cacao are easily altered and
destroyed through processing. The bitterness of raw cacao beans
is due to their high concentration of polyphenols.
To some people, cacao is virtually inedible because of its
bitterness. To make it more palatable, chocolate manufacturers
decrease the polyphenol content, and as a result you can find
products containing anywhere from 10 to 100 percent polyphenols.
In dried fresh cacao beans, the total polyphenol content is
around 15 to 20 percent, whereas fermented, non-defatted beans
contain just 5 percent. The reason for this is because the
fermentation process reduces epicatechin and soluble polyphenol
content by as much as 20 percent; anthocyanidins are removed
altogether, and procyanidins are decreased by as much as 500
percent.
The phenolic content of cocoa also varies depending on its
origin. For example, Costa Rican cocoa contains more than 16.5
milligrams (mg) of catechins per gram (g), whereas Jamaican
cocoa contains less than 2.7 mg per gram.
Apples May Boost Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Many real foods, eaten as close to their natural state as
possible, can be considered "superfoods."
This applies to dark chocolate as well. Interestingly, certain
superfoods produce great synergy when combined,38
meaning the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
When eaten in combination, the two foods become even healthier
than eating them separately, on their own.
Eating apples is associated with a lower risk of death from
heart disease, an association thought to be related to their
antioxidant flavonoid content,39
including the anti-inflammatory quercetin. As noted earlier,
dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidant catechins, has also
been found to support heart health. When paired, dark chocolate
and apples have been shown to break up blood clots, thereby
reducing your risk of stroke.
There are a couple of caveats though. Since much of the
antioxidant content of an apple is found in its peel, you'll
want to leave the peel on when you eat it. For this reason, look
for organic apples, to avoid ingesting pesticides and
other chemicals. For chocolate, the closer it is to its natural
raw state, the higher its nutritional value, so look for higher
cacao and lower sugar content. Your best bet is raw cacao nibs,
if you can tolerate the bitterness.
Make Your Own Chocolate Treats
Based on the evidence, there's little doubt that dark,
minimally processed chocolate is a real superfood. Just don't
mistake your average chocolate bar or chocolate-covered candy
for a health food! To reap the benefits, it likely needs to be
at least 70 percent cacao. Better yet, opt for the raw cacao
nibs. I eat about 1 ounce of raw nibs per day.
If you can't tolerate the bitterness, use them to make your
own chocolate treat, to which you can add some harmless
sweeteners. In the video above, I demonstrate a recipe I created
from scratch using high-quality ingredients. As you will see,
there are no specific measurements, so go ahead and tweak it to
your own taste.
As a base, I use raw cocoa butter and organic coconut oil.
You could also use raw organic grass-fed butter in lieu of the
cocoa butter. Keep in mind that these ingredients will cause the
candy to melt at lower temperatures, so you will most likely
need to keep it in the refrigerator to keep it from melting.
Next, I add 1/8 of a cup of raw cocoa powder.
Alternatively, grind your raw cacao nibs. For sweetness, I
add about 3 teaspoons of Lo-Han powder and some
Stevia. Cinnamon powder, mint, vanilla and/or orange
extracts can also be added for flavor.
Since the majority of these ingredients are healthy fats, and
there's no added sugar, this treat will not stimulate your
insulin release like most commercial candy bars will, even those
with higher cacao content. Hence you get the best of both worlds
— a chocolate treat with plenty of health benefits and few if
any detriments.
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, you may want to
experiment with making your own candy this year. Stores like
Amazon and Michael's sell all sorts of candy molds you can use
for the occasion.