Why chocolate is good for you

Some things seem too good to be true. The idea that chocolate is good for you falls into that category.

Regardless, it is absolutely true that chocolate will improve your health (with a few caveats). One of the richest sources of flavanols, chocolate plant compounds protect the heart and provide other important health benefits.

Specifically, flavanols prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which can be responsible for strokes, cardiovascular disease, and clots. They also improve blood flow to the heart and lower blood pressure. Cocoa flavanols preserve cells, protect DNA, and fight off radical damage to cellular structures.

In the 1970s, Kuna Indians in Panama were studied for their abnormal cocoa consumption (4-5 cups of cocoa daily with additional cocoa in their meals). The results were astounding. High blood pressure was almost extinct in that population, and stroke, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes rates were all far lower than rates among those living on the mainland in Panama.

There are more benefits… Flavanols help to protect your skin from UV light, which prevents wrinkles. They also increase blood flow to the gray matter of the brain, increasing mental acuity.

Now before you buy out the chocolate aisle at the local health food store, understand that not all chocolate is created equal. So, let’s talk about how chocolate products are made.

Cocoa beans are very bitter and inedible until they are fermented, dried, and roasted. The shells are then removed, revealing the nibs which are ground and liquefied into a liquor and refined again into solids or butter. At this point, the chocolate is diluted with sugar and milk, and the benefits are also diluted. This is why dark chocolate is considered superior to milk chocolate. You may see the actual amount of cocoa in a product represented as a percentage on the packaging. The higher this percentage is, the better, though you will find that products become more bitter as the percentage gets higher. Aim for chocolate that is at least 60% cocoa.

Even with its astringent flavor, chocolate takes on a sweet flavor in the kitchen. It works wonders in many foods and melds nicely with other spices in savory dishes. Cinnamon and cocoa are a dynamic duo for meats and vegetables.

Flavanols are not lost or decreased in the baking process or cooking process unless baking soda is used. However, the Journal of Food Science found that if you substitute ½ of the baking soda with baking powder, you will retain more of those flavanol benefits.

Here is a healthy hot chocolate recipe. This is best done on the stovetop in a pan so the flavors can melt into each other, but just mixing these ingredients in hot water works too.

1.5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon sugar or substitute
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
8 ounces of hot water

Happy cocoa cooking!

Note: Chocolate contains calories, and lots of them, so take this into account if you are interested in weight management.

Photo by Rodrigo Flores on Unsplash