Is chocolate good for you?

Good news everyone! So chocolate is officially a superfood.

Chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, theobromine, and flavanols.

The health benefits of chocolate have recently been linked to;

– Reduce blood pressure

– Reduced risk of heart failure

– Reduce the potential for insulin resistance and therefore diabetes.

– Solar protection

– Stress reduction

– Boost blood flow to the brain – potentially increasing performance and alertness in the short term

– Relief of diarrhea

– Relieve cough symptoms

Several university studies, particularly in Europe and the United States, have been conducted on the health benefits of chocolate, many with surprisingly positive results. However, you have to wonder who is funding much of this research? Wouldn’t large corporations like chocolate manufacturers be by chance? Only one batch of research came from the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition. By no means biased then, right?

It’s also worth noting that most of these studies are based on short-term effects and not long-term research.

So, before we drink the dairy milk, let’s weigh the evidence…

Dark chocolate is anti-inflammatory. So it makes sense that it has helped reduce heart-related problems like stroke. However, the rest of the ingredients that our chocolate is normally presented with may not be so positive. Standard chocolate bars are loaded with fats, milk, sugars, emulsifiers, and other artificial ingredients.

Theobromine found in chocolate has been found to reduce the action of the vagus nerve, which is linked to frequent or persistent coughing. However, increasing vagus nerve activity has been found to reduce epilepsy. In fact, high levels of theobromine can induce epileptic seizures. And dark chocolate contains more than three times the amount of theobromine as milk chocolate, so it’s not right for everyone.

Interestingly, it is the theobromine in chocolate that makes it so toxic to dogs.

Theobromine can be our friend and our enemy. It can help with insulin sensitivity, asthma, blood vessel dilation, and vascular performance. However, there is some evidence that excessive consumption of theobromine during pregnancy may have negative effects on the developing fetus.

Theobromine has similar effects on the body to caffeine, which is why it can be addictive.

Chocolate is also high in oxalic acid which can inhibit calcium absorption and overall mineralization in the body. In addition, it can help in the production of kidney stones. Therefore, it should be avoided if you have ever suffered from kidney stones.

It also contains vasoactive amines, which can dilate cerebral vessels, stimulating headaches and migraines, so it should be avoided if you suffer.

In its favor, chocolate is rich in magnesium. It would seem that most “chocoholics” are actually deficient in magnesium. If you suffer from chocolate cravings, it may be worth trying a chocolate detox and boosting your magnesium levels with other magnesium-rich snacks, such as avocados, cashews, seeds, almonds, or eggs.

I really can’t go much further on chocolate without discussing the other C word most women think about: calories! My personal opinion is that our thoughts about our daily diets should not be about calories per se, but about nutrients. However, that doesn’t mean we should completely ignore them. And chocolate can be high in calories compared to its nutritional value. So less is definitely more. Just 4 chocolate squares a day can add up to 76,000 calories to your yearly intake!

So if you still want to enjoy your chocolate. My recommendations would be;

– Try not to let it become a habit – more of an occasional treat

– The biggest benefit comes from the cocoa levels in the dark chocolate, so go for really dark chocolate (70% is a good marker)

– Avoid highly processed brands as high levels of heating destroy some of the potential benefits

– Be on the lookout for the other nasty ingredients in the bars, it’s these ingredients that can really affect the caloric value of the bar.

– Try raw

Just before I left, I thought I’d leave you with one of my favorite Chocolate Muffin recipes, no flour or no added sugar.

“Joyless” cakes, or Chocolate and Aubergine Muffins recipe

Enjoy!

July