Natural Living Newsletter

Chocolate - Food of the Gods?

Introduction

Chocolate is produced from the beans of the cacao tree, named Theobroma cacao by Linnaeus (theobroma being the Greek word for "food of the gods"). The exact origin of the tree is disputed. Some claim the cacao was born in the Amazon basin of Brazil, others say its birthplace was the Orinoco Valley of Venezuela, while still others contend the cacao is native to Central America. While the exact origin is disputed it is clear that the Olmec, Mayas, and Aztecs all enjoyed the cocoa bean for at least 5,000 years before it made its way to Europe.

By the 6th century AD, the Maya, who called the cocoa tree cacahuaquchtl, were already using its seeds to make a cold, very spicy, bitter drink they called xocoatl, meaning bitter water. Since sugar was unknown, different spices such as hot chili peppers and corn meal were used to flavor this thick, cold, potent brew, which they considered a health elixir.

To the Aztecs, cocoa beans were so valuable they were used as currency and only those wealthy enough to have money to drink used the beans to make xocolatl, which they pronounced shoco-latle, a drink thought to confer wisdom and power. The Aztecs also believed that xocolatl had nourishing, fortifying, and even aphrodisiac qualities. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma, is said to have considered the drink much more valuable than the golden goblets in which it was served, throwing these away after only one use. If addiction to chocolate is possible, Montezuma was probably the first to succumb. This guy liked xocoatl so much, he purportedly drank 50 goblets full every day! In 1519, when the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez is said to have toasted Montezuma with a golden goblet full of xocoltl before betraying and murdering the proud emperor. Although he was not enthusiastic about the taste of the beverage, finding it too bitter, Cortez wrote to King Carlos I of Spain, calling xocoatl a "drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue."

In the early 1500s, the taste of the Aztecs' recipe was greatly improved upon by the Spanish cooks, who replaced the chili peppers with sugar and added cinnamon and vanilla. As cacao became more commonly available, people began experimenting with new ways of using it. Chocolate began to appear in cakes, pastries, and sorbets, but it wasn't until 1828 that "modern chocolate" was born. In this year, Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J. van Houten patented the cocoa press, an inexpensive method for pressing the fat from roasted cacao beans.

In the United States, per capita chocolate consumption runs about 12 pounds per year or about half an ounce of chocolate per person per day. Sound like a lot? We're not even close to the Swiss, whose an annual per capita consumption of chocolate is 22 pounds, while the British, Germans and Belgians, at about 20 pounds per capita, aren't far behind.

Nutritional Highlights and Health Benefits

The primary components of chocolate are sugar and fat, in roughly equal amounts. According to government standards, true chocolate must derive its fat solely from cocoa butter, unless it's milk chocolate, in which case 80% of the fat must be from cocoa butter and 20% from milk.

At the center of chocolates health benefits are flavonoids. These plant pigments are responsible for many of the health benefits of many fruits and medicinal plants, but chocolate may be a much more sensually pleasing vehicle and there is evidence that not only is chocolate rich in flavonoids, but that factors in chocolate somehow dramatically increase the absorption of these compounds.. The key flavonoids are proanthocyanidins (also called procyanidins) similar to those found in grape seed extracts, apples, berries, and pine bark extract. Chocolate is very well endowed with these compounds. In fact, procyanidins constitute from 12% to as much as 48% of the dry weight of the cocoa bean. Cocoa powder can contain as much as 10% flavonoids on a dry-weight basis with dark chocolate being the best source of flavonoids.

Flavanol content and Antioxidant Capacity of Chocolate and other Foods and Beverages
100 grams (3.5 ounces)	Flavanols + Procyanidins, mg	ORAC, mmol Trolox equivalents†
Dark semisweet chocolate	170	40.0
Milk chocolate	70	6.7
Hot chocolate†† (1 cup)	35	3.4
Apples	106	0.2
Red wine	22	0.7
Brewed black tea (2 tea bags)	40	1.6
† Antioxidant activity is reported as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and expressed as mmol Trolox equivalents. †† The flavanol content of unsweetened powdered cocoa is actually double that of dark chocolate, but when made into a cup of hot chocolate, the cocoa is diluted with water or milk and sugar, so its flavonoid total per serving drops to half that found in milk chocolate.

One of the key areas of research into the benefits of chocolate consumption is its effect on cardiovascular disease. A growing amount of recent research suggests that:

Chocolate can be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants that are especially important in protecting against damage to cholesterol and the lining of the arteries. Chocolate flavonoids prevent the excessive clumping together of blood platelets that can cause blood clots. Unlike the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products, the saturated fats found in chocolate do not elevate cholesterol levels. Cocoa butter contains small amounts of the plant sterols, sitosterol and stigmasterol, which may help inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Chocolate can provide significant amounts of arginine - an amino acid that is required in the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps regulate blood flow, inflammation, and blood pressure.

Although chocolate is primarily sugar and fat, it does not appear to adversely affect cholesterol levels (as long as total fat and calorie intake is held constant) based on recent studies. For example, in one study participants experienced no rise in cholesterol levels despite the fact that they were eating 10 ounces of chocolate per day. In another study, 23 healthy volunteers were placed on two diets in succession: a typical American diet or the same diet plus about four tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate daily for four weeks. While on the chocolate diet, not only did the volunteers experience 8% less oxidative damage of their LDL (bad) cholesterol, but their levels of HDL (good) cholesterol actually increased by 4% compared to when they were on the chocolate-free diet.

Chocolate, specifically its cocoa butter, contains stearic acid - a medium chain triglyceride that although is a saturated fat does not appear to adversely affect cholesterol levels. It also contains small amounts of the plant sterols, sitosterol and stigmasterol. These sterols, which compete with cholesterol for absorption from the gut, can contribute to improved blood lipid profiles by inhibiting the uptake of dietary cholesterol. Although the amounts of plant sterols present in cocoa butter are so small their impact is likely to be small as well, these sterols are still yet one more component of chocolate with potential cardiovascular benefit.

Chocolate flavonoids also work like a very low dose of aspirin to prevent blood platelets from aggregating. When blood platelets are too sticky, they tend to clump together and form a blood clot. A blood clot can become dislodged leading to a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism. In one study, the effect of flavonol-rich cocoa drink containing 25 grams (a little less than an ounce) of semi-sweet chocolate compared to an 81 milligram dose of aspirin (i.e., a baby aspirin) showed that the two were similar in their effects on preventing platelets from clumping together or clotting. However, aspirin's effects are longer-lasting than those produced by chocolate flavonoids, so unlike aspirin, which can be taken once daily, a dose of flavonoid-rich chocolate would need to be consumed every 6 to 8 hours.

Chocolate -- an Aphrodisiac, Love Potion, and Antidepressant?

Chocolate has long been associated with love. Scientists have discovered a possible chemical connection. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA) - a neurotransmitter that is released by neurons at moments of emotional euphoria including the feelings of love. It may be that one of the reasons that chocolate is by far the most common cause of food addition is that people are actually getting minute quantities of PEA from chocolate reaching their brains. Although chocolate cannot compete with the real thing, it is clear that chocolate does in fact produce feelings of love. What is curious, however, is why we don't have similar affection to a number of foods-such as salami, pickled herring and cheddar cheese- that actually contain significantly more PEA than a comparable serving of chocolate.

In addition to PEA, controversial findings suggest that chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances with the same effect on the brain as marijuana. In marijuana, the pharmacologically active substance is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Brain cells have receptors for THC. A receptor is a structure on the surface of the cell's outer membrane that will lock onto certain molecules, allowing them to transmit a signal through the cell wall, triggering a reaction inside the cell. In the case of THC, the reaction would make someone feel "high."

THC is not found in chocolate, but another neurotransmitter called anandamide is. Like THC, anandamide is naturally produced in the brain and binds to the same receptors, which may help explain why, while eating chocolate will not make you high, it's likely to engender some pleasant feelings or at least make you feel more relaxed and less anxious. Like other neurotransmitters, anandamide is broken down quickly after it's produced, but other chemicals in chocolate inhibit the natural breakdown of anadamide, allowing it to remain in the brain longer, making us feel good when we eat chocolate.

Some Practical Suggestions

In order to provide the most healthful choices of chocolate products I offer the following suggestions:

For the biggest flavonoid bang for your caloric buck, choose high quality semisweet dark chocolate. Avoid chocolate candies and treats made with hydrogenated fats or refined flour, neither of which promotes health. Also pass on products labeled "artificial chocolate" or "chocolate flavored." These imitations are not even close to the real thing in flavor, texture or health benefits. Since the chocolate's beneficial polyphenols have been removed from white chocolate, it cannot be considered as a healthful food. Choose low carb chocolate products sweetened with a polyol like sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, etc.

Moderate consumption of chocolate seems to be able to promote improved health. However, liberal consumption is certainly not a wise health practice. I would equate the health benefits of chocolate to those of red wine. In other words, moderation is the key.

Safety Concerns

Chocolate can produce a stimulant effect and lead to feelings of nervousness and anxiety in some people. If these effects are noted, then chocolate consumption should be avoided.

Chocolate is a common food allergen. Chocolate, along with red wines and aged cheeses, has been linked with tension as well as migraine headaches. All contain compounds known as vasoactive amines that can dilate brain vessels, triggering headaches in susceptible individuals.

Since chocolate contains oxalic acid, a compound that can bind to calcium in the urinary tract to form kidney stones dark chocolate should be avoided in individuals prone to kidney stones. According to a study conducted in Brazil, while consumption of dark chocolate caused a 20% increase in urinary oxalate excretion, no such increase was observed in the group receiving milk chocolate, suggesting that as long as enough calcium is also present, it will bind to the oxalates in the gut, preventing the formation of kidney stones.

Key References:

Bruinsma K, Taren DL Chocolate: food or drug? J Am Diet Assoc 1999;99(10):1249-56. de O G Mendonca C, Martini LA, Baxmann AC, Nishiura JL, Cuppari L, Sigulem DM, Heilberg IP. Effects of an oxalate load on urinary oxalate excretion in calcium stone formers. J Ren Nutr. 2003;13(1):39-46. Dillinger TL, Grivetti LE, Food of the gods: Cure for humanity? A cultural history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate. Journal of Nutrition 2000;130:2057S-2072S.
Hannum SM, Schmitz HH, Keen CL. Chocolate: A heart-healthy food? Show me the science! Nutr Today. 2002;37(3):103-109. Hatano T, Miyatake H, Natsume M, et al. Proanthocyanidin glycosides and related polyphenols from cacao liquor and their antioxidant effects. Phytochemistry. 2002;59(7):749-58. Murphy KJ, Chronopoulos AK, Singh I, Francis MA, Moriarty H, Pike MJ, Turner AH, Mann NJ, Sinclair AJ. Dietary flavanols and procyanidin oligomers from cocoa (Theobroma cacao) inhibit platelet function. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77(6):1466-73. Steinberg F, Bearden M, Keen C. Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health, J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:215-223.

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