Chocolate –you either love it or.....well love it!

Ok so I’m slightly biased, but this doesn’t mean the following article was written with any favouritism. Only facts!

Despite our love of chocolate, it is often one of the very first foods to be banned when we go on a health kick, but could we be banning this tantalizing, soothing, heaven in your mouth delight unjustly?

You may have heard chocolate marketers harping on about the health benefits of chocolate. A couple of years ago I would have scoffed at the idea, chocolate is a treat and treats are bad. But over the last few years science has revealed that there is more to chocolate than a few calories.

Chocolate has an extraordinary amount of the super special compound, often referred to as Flavonoids or antioxidants. These Flavoniods are found in the cocoa bean, so logically the higher the chocolate is in cocoa the more health benefits you will gain from the Flavoniods. Dark chocolate has the highest amount and white chocolate has none (sorry to all those white chocolate lovers out there).

These Flavonoids- which can also be found in tea, blueberries and apples- have a number of health benefits which might surprise you. Studies show that dark chocolate has the ability to influence insulin resistance therefore reducing the risk of diabetes, help protect nerves from injury and inflammation, improve brain function and also help protect skin from damaging UV radiation when applied topically.

Daily consumption of dark chocolate also helps protect against stroke through vasodilatation (relaxation of the muscular vessel wall resulting in the blood vessel widening) reducing blood pressure and studies have shown it increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels in our bodies.

Fun Fact: Cholesterol 101

Our bodies need Cholesterol to function; in fact our livers create it! Cholesterols’ primary job is to delivery vitamins and minerals to different parts of the body via the blood stream or lymphatic system.

Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL), carry goodness through our bodies, as it passes, cells take what they need causing the VLDL to shrink till only cholesterol remains. This is when a Low Density Lipoprotien (LDL) is created and the stage when they become bad for us. High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) often referred to as the good cholesterol, collects and carries LDL cholesterol back to the liver for recycling and disposal.

The problem arises when these LDL’s are not cleaned up by the HDL’s and continually circulate throughout the body, clogging up arteries and blood vessels. So as you can see cholesterol itself is not the enemy; it’s our overeating which often results in to many LDLs floating around and not enough HDLs in our blood stream to clean them up.

Now if that’s not enough to sway you to a piece of chocolate a day, I have more! Not only is a piece of choccie good for the heart it’s also great for the head, studies have shown chocolate also affects our serotonin level, helping to lift our mood.

I know what you’re thinking, if you start eating chocolate daily the weight will come piling on. The key to enjoying chocolate and its health benefits is to have a small amount, remember my motto – EVERYTHING IN MODERATION- 1-2 squares per day or every other day. I was pleasantly surprised to read that studies have shown that those who consume a small amount every day tended to either lose weight or remain their usual weight. The reason being, a small amount of dark chocolate allows you to have your treat so you won’t gorge on other junk foods later and reduces hunger. Chocolate also delivers a greater level of satisfaction and fullness than other sugar laden foods; you know how easy it is to munch down that WHOLE packet of chips? Dark chocolate is rich enough that only a small amount satisfies.

It is important to keep in mind the type of chocolate you consume, go for a plain dark chocolate, as dark as you can handle then once you’re used to the taste, step it up to the next level till you reach over 70% cocoa. For beginners, try either a 65% dark or if you like peppermint, Haighs Dark Chocolate Peppermint frogs are delicious.

More studies are underway to determine the exact relationship between the human body and chocolate but so far results have been in favour of the chocolate lover. life’s too short to ‘always’ be good, so if you’re going to be bad, why not indulge with something beneficial for your health...So please, ENJOY!

References:

Katz DL, Doughty K, Ali A. Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011.

Belz GG, Mohr-Kahaly S. Cacoa and dark chocolate in cardiovascular prevention? Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2011.

Macht M, Dettmer D. Everyday mood and emotions after eating a chocolate bar or an apple.

Piehowski KE, Preston AG, Miller DL, Nickols-Richardson SM. A reduced-calorie dietary pattern including a daily sweet snack promotes body weight reduction and body composition improvements in premenopausal woman who are overweight and obese: a pilot study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011.

Massolt et al. Appetite Suppression through Smelling of Dark Chocolate Correlates with Changes in Ghrelin in Young Women. Regulatory Peptides. 2010.

Strandberg T, Strandberg A, Pitkälä K, Salomaa V, Tilvis R, Miettinen T. Chocolate, well-being and health among elderly men. European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition. 2008.

Whitney E, Rady-Rolfes S, Crowe T, Cameron-Smith D, Walsh A. Understanding Nutrition. 2011.