You've probably heard that chocolate can be good for you, and it's
true. Scientifically speaking, studies have shown that chocolate can
reduce blood pressure, help to keep your arteries in shape, give
your energy a mild boost, trigger pleasure-inducing endorphins, and
may even help to burn fat. The bad new is, not all types of the
treat deliver these benefits.
How do you tell? Look for these four
signs that a bar of chocolate contains healthful ingredients:
1. High Cocoa Content
Cocoa contains antioxidants that offer the health benefits but
not all chocolate contains enough cocoa to be beneficial. Cocoa also
gives chocolate its dark color, so white chocolate contains zero
cocoa, and the darkest chocolate usually contains the most. However,
the color of chocolate can also come from artificial coloring
agents, so you have to read the label to know what's in a package.
To find healthful chocolate, look for a statement of the
percentage of cocoa on the wrapper, preferably 70 percent or higher.
The same type information can be listed as "cocoa liquor." The
"liquor" is not an alcoholic drink but the name the chocolate
industry gives to cocoa-bean ingredients after cocoa butter, the
bean's natural fat, has been removed. Some manufacturers just list
something like "70 percent dark chocolate," or they list "chocolate
liquor" as the first ingredient, meaning that it's the major
ingredient in the product (rather than sugar, milk, or something
else).
Granted, this can be a bit confusing. If you like a particular
brand but don't know what its label means, call the company and ask.
Chocolate makers that produce high-quality goodies take pride in
carefully selecting their ingredients and will gladly talk to you.
2. Not Milk
Milk interferes with the human body's absorption of the
antioxidants in cocoa. For good health, choose dark chocolate and
don't drink milk while you eat it. If you find the taste too bitter,
try it with fruit or choose a chocolate bar that's already flavored
with natural fruit ingredients, such as orange or raspberry, and
spices. It's a different experience from milk chocolate but a very
pleasant one.
3. Cocoa Butter
The natural fat in cocoa beans, cocoa butter, is a healthy type
of saturated fat that doesn't raise cholesterol levels. However,
many chocolate bars contain unhealthy, partially hydrogenated fat
instead, because the hydrogenated fat costs less and has a longer
shelf life. Choose chocolate with cocoa butter, not partially
hydrogenated fats.
4. No Artificial Ingredients
Good chocolate doesn't need artificial flavors but fake
ingredients cost less, so manufacturers often use them. Fortunately,
we can read food labels.
Organic chocolate doesn't contain artificial flavors,
preservatives or colorings so choosing organic is an easy way to
avoid these. In addition, organic cocoa-bean farmers use
environmentally friendly methods that help to preserve our remaining
rainforest.
Whether you choose organic or not, you will pay a little more for
chocolate made with true cocoa-bean ingredients, but why not? Aside
from the fact that your health is important, you want a good treat,
don't you? In my local supermarkets, a large bar of chocolate costs
about a dollar more for the good stuff – not too hard to swallow, or
rather, melt in your mouth.
