Is Dark Chocolate Good For You, Really?

People want to know if they can still satisfy their craving for chocolate without suffering the usual fattening side-effect. And better still, they would love it if eating chocolate, or at least dark chocolate, can confer health benefits.

Food of the Gods
Chocolate, in all its varieties, is classified as a food. One dictionary definition is that it is "a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans." It is loved by young and old - to such an extent that some have called it the food of the gods. In fact the scientific name of chocolate is "theobroma cacao." Theobroma is Greek which translates as "food of the gods" or "god food."

At less celestial levels, some have coined the phrase "food without borders", referring to the international liking of chocolate.

Chocolate is not a natural food. Cacao (or cocoa) is a natural food, but chocolate is derived from the processing of cacao. The finished product, the chocolate bar in the shop, contains large amounts of sugar, fat and other additives. It is a calorie time-bomb, or, should I say, instant explosive.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate, depending on its quality, is less calorie-laden. It typically contains much less cocoa butter than light chocolate. So score one for dark chocolate on this count.

Light chocolate, also called milk chocolate, as its name implies, contains milk which lightens its color and makes it taste smoother. The chief health benefit of chocolate is from flavanoids which have antioxidant qualities. They are said to help improve or relax blood pressure by producing nitric oxide. It may also help to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Research shows that the addition of milk destroys the antioxidants. So score two for dark chocolate over light or milk chocolate on this count.

Other benefits of chocolate, not restricted, I think, to the dark variety, is that it leads to feelings of pleasure due to the production of endorphin. It also contains serotonin, which is an anti-depressant. But some researchers say that the protein in the chocolate will counteract the serotonin. At the same time, there are stimulants like theobromine and caffeine. All these ingredients, in combination, tend to produce, I suppose, a sense of pleasure, a happy mood and yet a slightly sharpened alertness.

But the taste? That depends on individuals. Most people find the bitterness in dark chocolate not so appetizing, which, it might be said, is also its virtue. But if you want to take it like a medicine, there is nothing wrong with that! There are, however, those who actually prefer its taste to the more sugary and sweeter light chocolate. They are the lucky ones. It can also be an acquired taste, boosted by the thought of its goodness.

How Much Dark Chocolate to Consume
Dark chocolate is still chocolate - it is high-calorie and high-fat. Dark and light simply have relatively more or less amounts. A small dose of dark chocolate, say not more than 100 grams, each day or every other day, to get the flavanoids, if you must, should be enough. More will be counter-productive. All studies testing the benefits have involved a daily consumption of less than this amount. And remember to balance out the calorie intake by cutting out other snacks. (People on antidepressant medication which contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors should proceed with caution, as they are advised to avoid tyramine, which is a chemical in chocolate.)

Watch out also that the manufacturers have not removed the bitterness by taking away the flavanoids. Some scientists are also skeptical of the long-term effect. They think that when a person has a regular high intake of flavanoids the body will adapt and the beneficial effect will dissipate.

Final Thoughts
The moral of the story has to be: everything in moderation. In this vein, an occasional and measured indulgence in the other types of chocolate should not be excluded.

Everything we eat is part of our diet. It is the overall diet that we have to watch.

A. Aziz tries to enjoy the finer things in life - but in moderation.

For lovers of chocolate of all kinds: visit Chocolate House and go here to read All About Chocolate.