We all know fruits have beneficial antioxidants that put them on the super food list, but one of the surprising benefits of chocolate is that it is also a source of these compounds. Enjoying delicious dark chocolate every so often is no longer just an indulgence for your sweet tooth; new research finds the high antioxidant content in dark chocolate and cocoa powders is quite good for your heart as well.
In fact, antioxidant-rich chocolate might just become the next "super food" we're all hearing about thanks to its sky-high antioxidant content.
In this latest work, the researchers found that the antioxidant action of both cocoa powder and dark chocolate were the same as or more than found in other more obvious super foods, like fruit. However, this does not mean that chocolate is healthier than fruit.
Most people don't realize that cocoa powder comes from seeds from the cacao tree that are then dried and processed into powder. So cocoa powder comes from a plant, just as fruits and veggies do.
The trouble starts when you take that natural product and process it so it appeals to the taste buds, in effect destroying many of the beneficial compounds in the process. Unfortunately, raw cocoa powder is pretty bitter, so it gets sweetened through processing. However, American chocolate makers are belatedly realizing that this strips the cocoa of its beneficial nutrients and are working to make products that keep more of their flavonoids.
Science knows that antioxidants combat the detrimental effects oxidative stress has on the body. We're learning antioxidants are extremely beneficial to the heart as well, having been found in earlier studies to cut the risk of heart disease.
Two particular antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonols, have been at the center of many research studies because of their potential health benefits. Any food that's high in either of these has often been dubbed "superfoods" by the media.
In this study the research team compared the total flavanol and polyphenol content, alongside antioxidant action of dark chocolate and cocoa powder to some more common so called "super fruits" like acai berry, blueberries, cranberries and pomegranate.
The antioxidant action of powdered cocoa was the highest of all the super fruits analyzed. The total flavanol composition of cocoa powder was greater than all the other super food powders tested.
The scientists also compared dark chocolate and super fruit 100% nonblended juices. The overall antioxidant action of dark chocolate was much higher than 1 cup of most of the juices, with the exception of pomegranate. The polyphenol content was 1,000 milligrams for dark chocolate, and the flavanol content was over 500 milligrams, far higher than the 200 milligrams for the fruit juices.
However, it is worth remembering that the overall calorie content and grams of fat in dark chocolate is a lot higher than any of the fruit juices tested in the study. This suggests moderation in usage, which is typically difficult for most people. The experts stress that you don't need a whole bar of rich, dark chocolate to gain health benefits; a daily Hershey kiss sized piece will do just fine - and therein lies the problem...
Also important is the cocoa powders and dark chocolate samples used in the research had natural cocoa that hadn't undergone an alkalizing process. As a process, alkalization mellows the sharp flavor of cocoa, and in so doing, manages to destroy the beneficial polyphenolic compounds nature gives chocolate.
Unfortunately, those hot cocoa mixes that we drink so much of during the colder weather have alkalized cocoa and so give us few, of the benefits of chocolate.
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