Chocolate's Health Benefits, Chocolate Tips - Women's Circle of Health Newsletter

December 2009 - Vol 4 Issue 12

Chocolate's Health Benefits
How to enjoy chocolate without guilt
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.

Chocolate has always been considered a comfort food. When we are sad or stressed, turning to a piece of creamy, rich chocolate brings temporary relief. Unfortunately, once that satisfaction is over, the guilt begins. Or, so it used to be. Now chocolate is taking on a whole new role in a healthy diet. With a little moderation, chocolate can help improve your health from head to toe.

Chocolate takes the pressure off in more ways than one

Although we’ve always felt that eating chocolate had the magical ability to make us feel better, science proves it isn’t magic after all. A recent study concluded that a daily dose of dark chocolate (40 g) reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood. The small study included only 30 people and lasted for just 2 weeks, but it added support to other findings that indicate substances in chocolate have a relaxing effect on the body. Such studies have determined that the antioxidants in chocolate help to relax blood vessels leading to lower blood pressure. It appears chocolate’s calming impact is not just in our minds, but in effect throughout the body. (See The Pressure is Off).

A healthy body from antioxidants

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans that are rich in natural antioxidants called flavanols. Antioxidants prevent the cellular damage that can contribute to aging, cancer, and a variety of diseases. Eating chocolate that contains a high percentage of cacao provides the most antioxidants and subsequently the greatest prevention of aging and disease. In addition, the antioxidants in dark chocolate have even been shown to give skin a healthy glow. (See Healthy Skin is So Sweet).

How to reap chocolate’s benefits

While chocolate is loaded with natural antioxidants, it can also be loaded with sugar. That is why moderation is still the key to chocolate’s health benefits. The following tips will help you get your chocolate fix without getting too many calories:

Use pure cocoa powder which is sugar free, low in calories, and even includes a gram of fiber. Make a rich cup of hot cocoa and sweeten with a small amount of honey, or try one of our Homemade Cocoa Recipes.

Indulge in chocolate that has even more health benefits, like an Adora Calcium Supplement which includes the calcium and vitamin D your body needs.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of semi-sweet chocolate chips into warm oatmeal or melt in the microwave and use as a dip for fruit.

Shave chocolate into recipes like banana bread or whole grain pancakes, so you get just a hint of flavor without all the calories and fat.

Read labels to be sure your chocolate doesn’t include unhealthy ingredients like hydrogenated oils or artificial sweeteners. Natural chocolate usually includes a few simple ingredients: chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sugar, an emulsifier to keep it creamy, and milk (in milk chocolate).

How do you keep your chocolate intake in check? Let us know by entering the December Contest of the Month and you could win a free bag of Adora Calcium Supplements.

References

Francois-Pierre J. Martin, Serge Rezzi, Emma Per-Trepat, Beate Kamlage, Sebastiano Collino, Edgar Leibold, Jrgen Kastler, Dietrich Rein, Laurent B. Fay and Sunil Kochhar. Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects. J. Proteome Res., Publication Date (Web): October 7, 2009. retrieved 11/30/09 LINK