The Truth About Chocolate Is Bittersweet
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The cacao bean is loaded with flavanols, a group of plant compounds that can offer significant health benefits. Research shows, that when consumed in large quantities,  cocoa flavanols can increase arterial blood flow, improve blood vessel function, prevent blood clots and reduce blood pressure in chocolate lovers with mild hypertension. (1)(2) Emerging science also suggests that cocoa flavanols can improve brain function and insulin resistance. However, just because cocoa can be healthy, doesn't mean a high calorie chocolate bar that contains it is good for you. Last year, the European Food Safety Authority (the European Union's equivalent of the FDA) determined we needed to eat at least 200mg of cocoa flavanols daily to realize any health benefits, although participants in most studies consumed on average twice this amount. (400mg.) (To put this in perspective, a Hershey's classic 1.5oz chocolate bar contains approximately 25mg and 230 calories.) Needless to say, getting the minimum 200mg of flavanols a day from your favorite chocolate treat will, no doubt, wreak havoc on your waistline. To see just how many calories it will cost you, view the chart below.
1 - Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 527: 90, 2012
2 - Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 8: CD008893, 2012
To Get 200mg of Flavanols From Chocolate You Need to Consume:
Type of Chocolate
| Amount
| What it will cost you in calories
| Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
| 1.75 Tbs
| 20 calories
| Baking Chocolate (100% cacao - no added sweetener)
| .5 ounces
| 70 calories
| Semi-Sweet Chips
| 1.5 ounces
| 200 calories
| Dark (70-87% cacao)
| 2.0 ounces
| 290 - 320 calories
| Chocolate Syrup
| 1 cup
| 840 calories
| Milk Chocolate
| 10.5 ounces
| 1580 calories
| White Chocolate - It contains no flavanols. It's mostly sugar, cocoa butter (fat), milk solids and flavorings - avoid it altogether.
| N/A
| N/A
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Source: J. Agric. Food chem. 57:9169, 2009
The level of flavanols in chocolate products is heavily dependent on the processing method used, dark chocolate and cocoa powder included. If a package says "processed with alkali or Dutch processed" most of the flavanols have been stripped out. Put it back and choose a brand that states non-alkalinized!
The Bittersweet Truth: What We Know
- Large, daily consumption of cocoa flavonoids have beneficial effects on brain function and heart disease risks.
- Consuming the amount of chocolate products needed to see these benefits is not healthy and will most likely cause weight gain.
What to do: 
If you'd like to enjoy a little chocolate this Valentine's Day, go ahead and do so, in moderation and guilt-free. But thereafter, if you want to take advantage of cocoa's health benefits, it's best to get your flavanols from unsweetened cocoa powder.
Need ideas on how to incorporate unsweetened cocoa into your diet, check out the delicious recipes below.
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 Jean Varney is the founder and president of Eat Right, Be Fit, Live Well LLC, a health and nutrition consulting firm committed to empowering men and women to improve their health through sustainable changes to their diet and lifestyle. Based in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Jean coaches clients nationwide by phone and in person. She focuses on helping individuals make smart choices about the foods they eat in order to maintain high energy levels, avoid unwanted weight gain and decrease their risk of heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Jean received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. To learn more about her practice, please visit her website at: www.EatRightBeFitLiveWell.com. |
