Is Chocolate Good for Me?

This is American Chocolate Week, so it’s a good time to talk about this treat.

The history of chocolate reveals that it has had medicinal uses since at least the 16^th century, beginning in the New World in Olmec and Mayan culture. Chocolate made its way to Europe via Hernando Cortes and other Spanish explorers. Its pleasurable and invigorating effects were appreciated right away and medicinal properties were also attributed to it in the Western world. Linnaeus, the 18th-century botanist, named the plant Theobroma cacao, meaning “food of the gods.”

Many articles in the recent medical literature have documented the benefits of chocolate. It's important to classify the types of chocolate to discuss their benefits. Several products come from the cocoa bean. The fat portion is cocoa butter. The nonfat portion of the cocoa bean when the ground becomes cocoa powder. Chocolate liquor comes from the melted nib of the cacao bean.

Baking chocolate is created from unsweetened chocolate liquor mixed with fat to make it solid. Sweet chocolates are made up of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar. Sweet dark chocolates contain varying amounts of cocoa solids: bittersweet dark chocolate (60 – 85%), semi-sweet dark chocolate (40 – 62%), and sweet dark chocolate (35 to 45%).

Then there is milk chocolate, which is usually 10 to 20% cocoa solids, but some versions can be up to 50%. Other ingredients are cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids, only sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids.

The studies showing health benefits have focused on dark chocolate due to the higher concentration of cocoa solids, and the beneficial ingredients are due to the cocoa itself. Cocoa contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and have cardiovascular benefits. These compounds protect the heart by decreasing blood pressure, lowering clotting risk, and improving blood circulation. Polyphenols have been associated with increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and decreasing LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), and triglycerides.

The flavonoids appear to enhance brain function and cognition. Some who eat dark chocolate report less stress and lower levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, have been reported. There is also a good amount of magnesium in dark chocolate, about as much as a half cup of cooked broccoli. Magnesium is calming to the body and mind. Compared to other sweets, dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa has fiber--about the same amount as a small apple.

Unfortunately, milk chocolate does not have the same benefits. As above, it has much less cocoa and typically has a lot of refined sugar and poor-quality dairy ingredients.

Does chocolate have caffeine? Yes, chocolate has caffeine and theobromine, both stimulating compounds. And, the chocolates with more cocoa solids have higher amounts. So, dark chocolate has more caffeine than milk chocolate. The amount of caffeine varies by the geographic region where the cocoa is produced. Dark chocolate sourced from South America has the highest caffeine content.

Even so, two ounces of dark chocolate has less caffeine than coffee, and about the same amount of caffeine found in tea. A drink of hot chocolate is diluted with other ingredients enough that it has notably less caffeine, about the same as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. You may want to avoid eating dark chocolate at night if you find it too stimulating. Many people find it calming, however, so see how dark chocolate affects you. Also, caffeine and theobromine can be triggers for migraine, so avoid chocolate if you get this effect. Chocolate can also be associated with acid reflux also, so observe for this.

I enjoy a piece of dark chocolate in the evenings several times a week. I just let it melt in my mouth and savor it slowly. I was disappointed when I saw that Consumer Reports recently reported  (https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/ ) that some brands of dark chocolate have unsafe levels of the heavy metals, cadmium, and lead.

Exposure to heavy metals is primarily a risk for young children and pregnant women. In these groups, heavy metals can affect brain development and cause developmental problems. Excessive exposure at any age can be a problem, however, due to kidney damage, high blood pressure, and other issues.

How does this contamination happen? It turns out that cacao and other plant foods can take up cadmium from the soil. Lead accumulation appears to occur after cacao beans are harvested. This is probably from cacao bean exposure to lead in dust and dirt as the beans dry in the sun. Limiting these problems will involve changes in growing and manufacturing practices. This contamination problem is not unique to dark chocolate, however; heavy metals can be found in other foods such as spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

The good news is that some chocolate manufacturers, as noted in the Consumers Reports article, have been able to limit heavy lead exposures in dark chocolate to safer levels. Hopefully, other manufacturers will also find ways to do this soon.

Nevertheless, it makes sense to limit risk by eating dark chocolate in moderation, perhaps to one ounce at a time, and several times a week instead of daily. This is also a good idea because it is a calorie-dense food. Choose one of the brands that have less lead exposure.

Many people, especially women, have cravings for chocolate and feel guilty when eating it. It may help to realize that chocolate does not have to be forbidden. Savor your piece of chocolate and eat it mindfully, rather than gulping a milk chocolate bar or mindlessly eating from a bowl of chocolate candies.

So, in answer to the question, “Is chocolate good for me?” The answer is, it depends. Avoid chocolate if it gives you migraines or acid reflux. If you can eat it, choose dark chocolate for the most health benefits. Look for a brand with less heavy metal exposure. And, eat a small piece at a time, savoring it mindfully and remembering that you are eating “food of the gods.”