Chocolate as a Healthy Treat
by Roberta Lee, MD (topic expert: health) The average person in the United States consumes approximately 12 pounds of chocolate a year[1]. The good news is there are actually some health benefits to this sweet treat. But chocolate hasn't always been the candy-craving food we know it to be today. The Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs, Meso-American cultures based in Central America and Northern Central America, originally made a thick drink of ground roasted chocolate beans, chili peppers, maize and agave syrup. It was served with a frothy foam topping but wasn't the overtly sweet drink like the hot chocolate drinks of today. It wasn't until the 1500's that chocolate was introduced to Europe and then the recipes began to include more sweeteners. Besides the delicious sweet taste, it may be the several psychoactive compounds contained in chocolate that make it such a beloved confection. First it contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a natural stimulant that shares similar pharmacologic activity to amphetimines. PEA is elevated in the brain when we are in love and is low when we are depressed. Chocolate also contains a methylxanthine compound, known as theobromine, another stimulant that gives energy and a sense of alertness. Finally, chocolate contains a small amount of a chemical known as N -rachidonoylethanolamine, this substance keeps our endogenous happiness molecules or endorphins (called anandamide ) from breaking down. In otherwords, if we are happy we stay happier longer with a little chocolate. The psychoactive effects of chocolate remain in debate. Scientists can't agree on whether the psychoactive components found in chocolate reach the brain when it is eaten. Some experts say little if any of these compounds cross the blood brain barrier. Other data suggests that it's the fat and the sugar that creates the cravings. All the health benefits of chocolate are in the cocoa mass. So if you want a healthy chocolate treat, you should reach for a chocolate bar that is greater than 75% cocoa. The cocoa contains an antioxidant known as flavonoids. On a gram for gram basis, chocolate has some of the highest concentrations of these antioxidants in comparison to other healthy foods such as berries and spinach. Chocolate is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc. More controversial is the cocoa butter contained in chocolate. Because the saturated fat stearic acid comprised so much of the cocoa butter, experts thought that it was detrimental to heart health. At this point most experts agree that stearic acid is poorly absorbed by the body and much of it converts to oleic acid, a monosaturated fat, which is healthy. With regard to the fat content - chocolate is heart health neutral. But like all foods containing fat, those trying to watch their calories should be aware that because cocoa butter is present in chocolate bars, chocolate is a lot of calories (e.g. approximately 250 calories per 3 ounce bar). In the last decade, researchers have discovered other intriguing aspects to chocolate. It appears that the flavonoids contained in the chocolate lowers blood pressure and has medicinal properties very similar to aspirin. Unfortunately though, chocolate does not last in the body long enough to rely on it as a blood pressure lowering food. The average half life of the flavonoids is only 2-4 hours. The bottom line, I share with patients is this: - Consider chocolate as a food treat, not a staple
- Eat it in small amounts of 1/3 or 1 ounce a day
- Pick the highest percentage of flavonoid content that you can tolerate
- And ENJOY it. Savor it to raise your endorphins to an even higher level!
Happy Valentine's Day - Brody Valentine Chocolates NYT - Feb 14, 1994.
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