Americans consume on average just under 12 pounds of chocolate per person per year. Valentine's Day week generates more one-week candy sales than any other, with chocolate being the poster candy for all of the Valentine’s Day treats. Retail sales top more than $323 million worth of chocolate candy during the week of Valentine's Day, according to The Nielsen Company. Chocolate has the reputation of being healthy. However, this is only partly true. Some types of chocolate are truly good for the heart in more ways than one, while others are far from being health food.
There has been a lot of positive press in recent years about the health benefits to chocolate, but the catch is to know the difference between healthy chocolate and the chocolate that is essentially just candy. Chocolate, called by its scientific name, is "theobroma cacao." This can be literally translated to mean "food of the gods." Cocoa, also referred to as cacao (ka-cow) is made from seeds of the cacao tree flower. The cacao beans are known to be a super food because of the impressive health benefits in its least processed state.
Studies Link Chocolate to Health Benefits
Recent studies have shown a link between cocoa and cardiovascular benefits which include reduced risk of blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women and men. In the U.S, 500,000 women die each year from heart disease, with one in three women eventually succumbing to death from heart related diseases. Cocoa is a good source of magnesium, sulphur, potassium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc, chromium, vitamin C, and some B vitamins. Magnesium is especially important for heart health, while sulphur helps detoxify the liver and promotes healthy nails, hair and skin.
The bioflavonoid in chocolate are strong antioxidants that assist healthy blood flow and blood pressure and decreases clogging of the arteries. Food scientists at Cornell found cocoa to have twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the amount of antioxidants found in green tea.
The health studies which determined the positive health benefits to chocolate were based on raw cocoa which was unprocessed and without any added sugars or dairy products. In order for chocolate to have positive health benefits, it must contain at least 70% cocoa solids. Read the label to determine how much sugar has been added to the chocolate, many bars have sugar listed first which means that there is more sugar than anything else. Sugar laden foods are a detriment to health despite what else it accompanies. Unsweetened and dairy free dark chocolate would be the healthiest choice after raw cacao. The least healthy chocolate is milk chocolate because it contains milk fats, refined sugars and possibly hydrogenated ingredients as well which should always be avoided.
Chocolate can be Eaten in its Raw State
Raw cacao nibs and powder can be easily found at your local health food store and online. It’s simple to incorporate this super food into your diet by adding cocoa to your protein shakes, oatmeal, etc. Raw cacao is bitter, so add it to something that has a little sweetness. It is interesting to note that while chocolate candy sales are booming, there is a fast growing niche and demand for dietetic chocolate. Raw cacao is sugar free and is not only safe, but recommended for everyone to enjoy in moderation. Best of all, it can be enjoyed guilt free and offers heart healthy benefits when consumed within a healthy diet and lifestyle.
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