Choosing the Healthiest Chocolate
Few foods are as delectable as chocolate, and research suggests that this delicious treat is also good for you. Dark chocolate in particular may help protect your cardiovascular system by raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol and decreasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, as well as by lowering blood pressure. Some of these beneficial effects are attributed to flavanols—plant compounds that act as antioxidants, which are believed to combat harmful molecules called free radicals. (Milk chocolate contains less cocoa, so it is lower in flavanols.) Chocolate is also a surprisingly good source of fiber and magnesium, which support heart health.
Sizing Up Chocolate
Chocolate starts out as cacao beans, which have a bitter taste. The beans are roasted and the shells are removed, which leaves the cacao nibs. The nibs are separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter, which are combined with sugar to make dark chocolate: The higher the percentage of cacao in the mix, the higher the flavanol content.
A higher percentage of cacao (or cocoa) also means less sugar. For example, in a standard serving size of 1.4 ounces, milk chocolate averages more than five teaspoons of sugar, while dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa averages three teaspoons of sugar, and chocolate with 85 percent cocoa averages one teaspoon of sugar.
Studies showing health benefits of chocolate typically use products that contain at least 70 percent cocoa, but if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, start with a lower cocoa percentage, such as 50 or 60 percent, and slowly build up to higher cocoa percentages as your taste buds adapt. Try different brands, too—manufacturers use different processing methods and varieties of cocoa beans, resulting in different flavor notes.
Chocolate Lingo
To be a savvy chocolate shopper, understand these terms:
Cocoa nibs are cacao beans that have been shelled and roasted.
Cocoa butter is fat extracted from cacao nibs. Although cocoa butter is high in fat, the majority is oleic acid, a healthful monounsaturated fat, and stearic acid, a saturated fat that has not been found to raise cholesterol.
Cocoa powder is ground, partially defatted cocoa nibs.
Chocolate liquor is finely ground cocoa nibs (no alcohol involved) that is used to make chocolate.
Percent (%) cacao is the portion of ingredients, by weight, derived from the cacao bean, including cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate liquor. Some manufacturers use the terms “cacao” and “cocoa” interchangeably.
Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate must contain at least 35 percent chocolate liquor by weight. Semi-sweet is often sweeter than bittersweet chocolate. Both may be called dark chocolate.
Unsweetened or baking chocolate has no added sugar.
White chocolate is made with cocoa butter but contains no cocoa powder or chocolate liquor.
Enjoy in Moderation
Even though dark chocolate offers a variety of health benefits, it’s still a high-fat, calorie-dense food. When enjoying it, limit yourself to no more than 1½ ounces a day and limit your sugar, fat, and calorie intake from other sources. If you find it tough to control your chocolate consumption, set a “chocolate time” for yourself so you have something to look forward to and don’t overindulge.
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