Considered a food of the gods in ancient times, the healing and medicinal properties of cocoa — the source of all chocolate — were also widely recognized by Europeans well into the 19th century. Today, most don’t consider chocolate to be much more than a sweet indulgence. But thanks to recent nutrition research, that reputation is turning healthier once again. While certain types of chocolate appear to be healthier than others, cocoa itself seems to hold much of the goodness. That said, there are still fat and calories to consider.

Key Ingredients & Your Health

Derived from large colorful pods grown on tropical cacao trees, the dark brown cocoa bean is processed into chocolate by adding varying percentages of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, and in some cases milk.

Behind many of the health studies on chocolate and cocoa in recent years are the plentiful amounts of antioxidants, otherwise known as polyphenols or flavonoids, present in cocoa. Found in everything from red wine and soybeans to green tea and tomatoes, these richly colheart disease and cancer, and may even aid in memory retention. Since dark chocolate is formulated with a higher percentage of cocoa than milk chocolate, it often contains a greater percentage of flavonoids. In fact, one recent study found that dark chocolate contained double the amount of antioxidants in milk chocolate, while another showed that milk actually interferes with the absorption of these antioxidants altogether.

Recent studies have also shown that cocoa, which contains as much as 10% flavonoids on a dry-weight basis, in the form of hot cocoa, has even more disease-fighting antioxidants than red wine or tea: twice as much as red wine and nearly three times as much as green tea, depending on processing methods.

Aside from flavonoids, cocoa beans also contain several essential minerals, including magnesium, copper, potassium, and calcium; the amount retained depends on the amount of cocoa present. So again, dark chocolate would often contain more, due to a greater amount of cocoa retained in the finished product.

Despite these possible health benefits, chocolate still contains calories and oftentimes, fat. In particular, cocoa butter, which forms the foundation of chocolate, contains a significant amount (about 60%) of saturated fat, which has been correlated with an increased risk of heart disease. At the same time, the type of saturated fat is largely stearic acid, a type that does not appear to boost cholesterol levels as high as other saturated fats, when eaten in small amounts.

While this data is indeed promising for chocolate-lovers everywhere, the studies carried out to date have been relatively small, so should be considered preliminary.

Healthiest Chocolate Choices

To aim for the most health benefits from your chocolate cravings, experts suggest following the research: Cocoa powder has the most antioxidants and minerals, followed by dark chocolate, then milk chocolate. But these experts don’t recommend eating more than an ounce a day, which can contain about 11 grams of fat and about 150 calories, almost one-tenth of the average person’s daily calorie intake.

This Valentine’s Day, choose from a variety of different dark chocolate choices at the Coop, including Dagoba organic chocolate bars in various flavors and as much as 87% cocoa, and Valrhona and Scharffen Berger, also known for their high cocoa contents. Tropical Source is another dark chocolate offered that is also vegan.

Or instead, consider a cup of hot cocoa, with a fraction of the saturated fats typically found in a chocolate bar. And if you consume it with nuts or fruit, you’ll get even more health promoting antioxidants. At the Coop you’ll find organic and fairly traded Equal Exchange, and organic Dagoba hot chocolate choices, both ready-to-mix. Or make it from scratch using pure cocoa powder found in the bulk section, which is more likely to provide the most heart healthy antioxidants.

(For more information about reasons to buy fair-trade chocolate products, please see the January 2003 Coop Scoop [issue 281]: "Caution… Your Valentine sweets may come from child slavery"–Ed.)

References

Editorial. 2003. "Chocolate, without the milk." New York Times (Sept. 2): F6.

Clare Horn. 2003. "The 5 best ways to sharpen your memory." Natural Health 33 (1; Jan.-Feb.): 51.

Caitlin Hosmer MS RD. 2003. "Ask the doctor: Does eating chocolate harm the heart?" Harvard Heart Letter (Nov.).

Jeanie Lerche. 2003. "Sweet! Hot cocoa may prevent heart disease." WebMD Medical News (Nov. 6).Online at http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/76/90168.htm.

Linda Rao. 2003. "Enjoy this Valentine treat! Just 1 oz. of dark chocolate packs a big antioxidant wallop." Prevention 55 (2; Feb.): 126