7 Healthy Reasons To Enjoy Chocolate--Without the Guilt!

It might not be much of a surprise when we read about how eating broccoli can lower the risk of certain cancers, or how loaded with antioxidants fruits and vegetables are. It seems that virtually every day we see a report of a newly-discovered health benefit of a fruit or vegetable. We can almost expect foods we know we "should be eating" to eventually produce some research that will show remarkable properties. What a pleasant surprise that we can add the often-forbidden-yet-highly-desired chocolate to that list of healthy plant-based foods. Now there is a way to enjoy chocolate without guilt--and know that it can have a favorable effect on your health!

I've long enjoyed dark chocolate as a treat; now it's an extra bonus to eat a piece and know of its fascinating health-promoting properties. I especially enjoy helping to reduce the guilt-ridden looks on my patients' faces when they confess giving into their chocolate cravings. I try to absolve them of their guilt by citing the latest research and sharing with them how chocolate can be part of a healthy eating plan.

Most of you probably don't need an excuse to enjoy fine chocolate, but just in case you do, here are some healthy reasons to indulge yourself a little:

1. High in antioxidants: Chocolate is high in flavonoids, an antioxidant in the polyphenol category. Antioxidants can help to prevent cell damage and have been linked to prevention of cancer and other degenerative diseases.

2. Helps with cholesterol: Scientists at Penn State found that dark chocolate and flavonoid-rich cocoa powder reduced LDL ("bad" cholesterol) oxidation.

3. Reduces inflammation: An Italian study showed that when volunteers ingested small amounts of dark chocolate, their levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker) decreased.

4. Lowers blood pressure: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that dark chocolate had an effect on lowering blood pressure.

5. Helps with mood: Chocolate contains tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, which can help with depression. Research also shows chocolate can increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine (PEA) known as the "love chemical."

6. Improves blood flow: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that cocoa has anti-clotting, blood-thinning properties that work in a similar way as aspirin. Nobody is suggesting to replace your aspirin with chocolate, but the research is compelling.

7. It's delicious! Research shows that enjoying food and life is beneficial for your health.

So, does one enjoy the health benefits of chocolate with a steady diet of Snickers and Milky Way?

Hardly. It seems that the health benefits of chocolate come in packages that don't include nougat, caramel, or high amounts of sugar.

Most studies were done using cocoa powder or dark chocolate. Experts suggest that adding small amounts (a one ounce piece a few times a week) of dark chocolate to a healthy diet that includes antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables will give you a variety of phytochemicals (beneficial elements of plants) that have proven health benefits.

Thanks to all of those scientists and the volunteers who allowed themselves to be the subjects for chocolate research so we could learn to enjoy this guilty pleasure with a little less guilt. I hope you had all had fun doing it. I can't think of a better research study to participate in!

As I was preparing this blog, I stopped by one of my favorite places in Santa Monica for some homemade, raw, dark, organic chocolate: Zenbunni Chocolates and Curiosities. Within a few minutes of ingestion of this delicious treat, I felt an increased sense of mental clarity, heightened awareness, and mood elevation. One could attribute this to the caffeine and sugar, but this particular bar was low in sugar (only 4 grams) and did not result in the jitteriness that I usually feel if I have caffeine. I'm hoping that my body was enjoying the flavonoids, polyphenols, and other nutrients that nature has provided in such a tasty package.

Readers: How has chocolate impacted your life and/or your health? Any favorite brands, recipes, or tips for fellow chocolate lovers?

 

Follow Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drpatriciafitz

Comments

[The-Healthy-Chocolate]

I am so glad to see this article on HuffPo. Dr. Fitzgerald is doing the readers a great service in sharing the benefits of healthy chocolate.

I am/was far from a chocoholic. In fact, I did not like dark chocolate at all. I now literally eat at least a piece everyday. My wife and daughters who were big fans of chocolate before have also joined in.

We purchase Xocai, which other commentors have mentioned, their Nuggets and the Xobiotic squares are they way to go.

You can learn more about those and even purchase some at The Healthy Chocolate.com http://www.thehealthychocolate.com

I am not a distributor or anything for the company just a customer.

[w0rld0fw0rcraft]

sugar causes diabetes and obesity.

[goddesscon2001]

Actually..not true...High fructose corn syrup does and it is in everything..
Obesity is caused by eating too many carbs and not moving enough...
Moderation and balance is the key to healthy living..btw I am a Diabetic diagnosed at age 32 and I weigh 125 pounds..I am not fat and sugar did not give me Diabetes...
Get educated please...

[YankeeCanuck]

How much sugar is in 90% cacao chocolate?
Far less than in your breakfast cereal.

[polinate]

What I don't get is people that say they want to be healthy and then say I only eat milk chocolate. Like: I know broccoli is healthy, but I only eat green M & M 's. The key to good chocolate is how dark it is, but also whether or not it has been heat processed or alkalized. Both processes kill nutrients inherent in the cacao bean. I know of a chocolate that has that. For other chocolate health information you may want to check out this book: http://www.chocolate-truth.com (It's free.)

[LifesaverChocolate]

I was never a chocoholic until I found Xocai Healthy Chocolate. Eating unprocessed, cold-pressed cacao is amazing - NOT candy, but a functional raw food. It just doesn't get any better than this. You can google and find many websites for information or you can visit LifesaverC­hocolate.c­om, MyDrChocolate.com or sharechoc.com. Enjoy!

[ForVivi]

Loved the movie 'Chocolat'!

[SharlyFarley]

Me, too! Delicious!

[ForVivi]

My grandmother was a chocoholic who lived to be 102 years old.

[Skylarstar]

Guilt & chocolate -- pleez! Eating isn't a sin and a life well lived is one filled with earthly delights. The more obsessed we are with health the sicker we get.

[feliznavidad]

Pittsburgh has a great little chocolatier -- Dorothy's Candies.com. They still make their chocolates by hand -- so the nuts are real chunks of nut, and there's lots of thick chocolate on every piece. Their "barks" are phenomenal -- they throw them by hand on marble slabs to get it thin and crunchy. Their specialty is Swiss chocolate, but they have a dark and a double dark too.
www.dorothyscandies.com

They have a virtual tour of their plant on their website.

[TheBaffler]

There's a much better one in northeast PA, called Gertrude Hawk. Best chocolate I've ever had.

[swanoftex]

My husband and I eat small amounts of dark chocolate every day. We are both in excellent health and are on the down side of 60. Also, I mix unalkalized cocoa powder with plain lowfat Greek yogurt. Add some vanilla and Splenda and you have chocolate mousse. Or maybe just chocolate yogurt.

[LMPE]

Dark chocolate is good for you. The problem is when they drain all the nutrients.

[epiclife]

This is a great article! Thanks!!!

Chocolate is a great health food as long as it is the right king of chocolate. Not all chocolate is created equal! I have found a chocolate that is all natural and 70% plus dark Belgium chocolate. It is cold pressed and which means it is not cooked and so it maintains all the natural nutrition and antioxidants found in the original cocoa bean. This stuff is the best out there and cannot be found on the health food stores.
I feel like a million bucks on this chocolate and share it with everyone because it is doing amazing things for their health.
Check it out at mychocolat­evitamins.­com

[Aesthete]

I eat only high quality chocolate (I've had to learn to appreciate the bitterness of dark chocolate). Better chocolate candies tend to be lower in sugar and fat. Poorer quality chocolate contains more waxy paraffin. Chocolate is actually good for you---just watch the sugar and fat content. I no longer visit the vending machine when I want chocolate.

[booker52]

I know dark chocolate is betterr for you, but I prefer milk chocolate.

[ifihadahammer]

I just tried my first bite of dark chocolate Toblerone this week. Amazing. I've always like dark chocolate, but OMG Toblerone dark?! Pure heaven. Always been a fan of Lindt, too.

I like milk chocolate, but I find that my sweet tooth is satisfied with a couple pieces of dark as opposed to a whole milk chocolate candy bar.

I knew about the antioxidant part, but lowering blood pressure and helping with cholesterol? Great news this is! Thanks for this article.

[icemilkcoffee]

Unless it is bitter, you're still eating too much sugar. It' very hard to find true biter chocolate with no sugar added. And almost unpalatable.

[BODphila]

Is there nothing good about milk chocolate except the taste? I am a candy freak but even if it's the only treat for miles around, I won't eat dark chocolate. Bleh! Yick! Eww!

[athenasword]

It is a learned taste, for sure. Medium dark is now my favorite. Don't even like most milk chocolates any more.

[minimalist syntax]

Once you get used to dark chocolate, milk chocolate completely loses its appeal. I like 85% cacao.