New findings suggest cocoa may have significant health benefits. A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge found that chocolate, usually thought of as a guilty pleasure, may increase the likelihood of a healthy heart. The results follow previous studies that found cocoa products to be linked to lower rates of strokes and diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease
Dr Oscar Franco, from the department of public health and primary care, claims chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease in humans. While he stresses the importance of moderation, his claim follows a review of 114,000 patients, whose risk of heart disease was reduced by 37% by eating chocolate.
The same review, conducted by Cambridge researchers, found the patients who ate the most chocolate to be 29% less at risk of suffering a stroke. More research needs to be conducted before the specific chemicals that cause these health benefits can be discovered.
Diabetes
Results from the University of L’Aquila, Italy, found chocolate may be beneficial in reducing levels of diabetes. Participants in the study who ate 100g of dark chocolate each day were more able to metabolise sugars. Interestingly, those who ate the same amount of white chocolate did not experience the same benefit.
This suggests that cocoa solids, which are not an ingredient of white chocolate, are the healthy active ingredient. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, a fatty extract of the cacao bean that causes chocolate to melt at a relatively low temperature. Cocoa solids contain the antioxidant flavanol, which is associated with lower levels of cancers and diabetes.
Mental health
Chocolate contains chemicals that increase levels of serotonin in humans. Serotonin is a ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter and can have a positive effect on mood and temperament. Most modern antidepressants contain chemicals that change levels of serotonin in the brain.
Chocolate rarely features on strict weight-loss programmes. But dieting, which reduces calorie consumption, can benefit from chocolate in moderation. Like other foods (including papaya and banana), cocoa contains chemicals that will make you feel fuller for longer and improve your mood and energy levels.
Most negative effects linked to chocolate (such as weight gain and high blood pressure) are due to high levels of fat and sugar in commercial cocoa products. Dark chocolate, which contains less sugar than its sweeter alternatives, can be part of a healthy lifestyle. During seasonal holidays, when chocolate truffles and confectionary abound, most people can enjoy the occasional chocolate guilt-free. The calorie-conscious needn’t shy away from gift baskets or edible decorations. The key to a healthy lifestyle is variety and moderation.
