Prevent coronary artery disease by eating dark chocolate at least once a week
09/22/2020 / By Skye Anderson / Comments
Prevent coronary artery disease by eating dark chocolate at least once a week

Chocolate is not the kind of food you’d expect to see on a list of healthy foods you can add to your diet, let alone a list of superfoods. But there are so many reasons why it’s there, and experts have been lauding chocolate’s health benefits for years.

But we’re not talking about just any type of chocolate. According to research, dark chocolate is the variety you should opt for when buying this popular snack, as it contains more beneficial compounds than either white or milk chocolate, thanks to the high amounts of cocoa in it.

Unlike the sweet chocolate varieties many of us love, dark chocolate contains more cocoa, which is one of the richest sources of health-promoting compounds called polyphenols. Dark chocolate also has less added sugar, so it contains fewer calories, which is so much better for our health.

But those aren’t the only good things about dark chocolate. A study published last July in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reports that eating chocolate at least once a week helps reduce the risk of heart disease.

Although the researchers did not highlight a specific type of chocolate in their article, a number of studies have confirmed that dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate to eat for a healthy heart. But health experts, of course, caution that — like all good things — dark chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation.

The difference between dark chocolate and other chocolate varieties

Chocolate is one of the most popular flavors in the world and probably everyone’s favorite treat. A key ingredient in many foods, it is also a delicious and somewhat addictive snack that can be eaten on its own. Commercial chocolates, however, undergo a lot of processing during production. This starts with cocoa pods being harvested by hand from cacao trees that grow in Central and South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia.

After harvesting, the cocoa pods are split open to obtain the seeds. These seeds also called cocoa beans, are then fermented for about five to eight days and then dried for a week before they are shipped to chocolate manufacturers abroad. The dried cocoa beans are broken down in factories using machines to produce cocoa butter and refined roasted nibs. These nibs are then melted into chocolate liquor and blended with sugar and milk to produce the different varieties of chocolate we know today.

There are three basic blends of chocolate produced in chocolate factories:

  • Milk chocolate, a type of sweet chocolate, is made by combining cocoa powder, cocoa liquor and cocoa butter with sugar, milk (or milk powder), lecithin (a food additive) and vanilla flavoring.
  • White chocolate, a popular chocolate confection, is made by combining cocoa butter with sugar, milk (or milk powder), lecithin and vanilla.
  • Dark chocolate, which is considered the healthier variety, is made by combining cocoa powder, cocoa liquor and cocoa butter with a little sugar, lecithin and (sometimes) vanilla.

Milk chocolate typically contains about 10 percent cocoa liquor — that is, the paste containing both non-fat cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Dark chocolate (sweetened), on the other hand, contains anywhere between 35 percent and 84 percent cocoa liquor, while those with higher cocoa content are classified as unsweetened. In contrast, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids; its primary component is cocoa butter.

According to studies, the amount of cocoa solids in dark chocolate determines how good it is for your health. The higher the amount of cocoa in it, the more dietary flavonoids dark chocolate contains. Flavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant activities. They are found in abundance in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods. Flavonoids are linked to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

Dark chocolate and pure cocoa are rich in a particular type of flavonoid called flavonols. Besides having antioxidant properties that protect against free radical damage and prevent inflammation, flavonols have also been found to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, and reduce the risk of blood clots, which can trigger a heart attack or stroke.

Eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate is good for your heart

According to Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong, a fellow physician at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, chocolate is a functional food that can help keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy. In his latest study, Krittanawong and his colleagues promoted the consumption of moderate amounts of chocolate to prevent coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the United States.

“In the past, clinical studies have shown that chocolate is beneficial for both blood pressure and the lining of blood vessels. I wanted to see if it affects the blood vessels supplying the heart (the coronary arteries) or not. And if it does, is it beneficial or harmful?” Krittanawong shared in a press release.

For their study, Krittanawong’s team analyzed studies published from the past five decades that examined the link between chocolate consumption and coronary artery disease. They selected six studies that involved a total of 336,289 participants, who all reported their chocolate consumption. Krittanawong’s team noted that the median follow-up was nearly nine years.

During the median follow-up, 14,043 participants developed coronary artery disease and more than 4,000 suffered a heart attack. Krittanawong and his team found that, compared with those who rarely ate chocolate, the participants who ate chocolate more than once a week had an eight percent lower risk of coronary artery disease.

The researchers attributed this benefit to the heart-healthy nutrients found in chocolate, such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid. Stearic acid, in particular, is known to reduce inflammation and increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is also called good cholesterol.

“Chocolate appears promising for [the] prevention of coronary artery disease, but more research is needed to pinpoint how much and what kind of chocolate could be recommended,” said Krittanawong, who warned against overeating.

“Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect the coronary arteries, but it’s likely that large quantities do not. The calories, sugar, milk, and fat in commercially available products need to be considered, particularly in diabetics and obese people,” he added.

Krittanawong and his team’s work further substantiates previous claims about chocolate’s health benefits. But many previous studies associate the benefits linked to this superfood to a particular type of chocolate: dark chocolate.

According to researchers, dark chocolate has more beneficial nutrients than either white or milk chocolate. This is because it contains fewer additives and considerably more cocoa solids. Cocoa is believed to be one of the richest sources of plant nutrients like flavonols, which not only help lower blood pressure but also protect the blood vessels from oxidative damage that can cause heart disease.

To enjoy the full benefits of dark chocolate, experts recommend opting for minimally processed products that contain at least 70 percent cocoa. The minimal processing ensures that the chocolate still contains most of the phytonutrients (and essential nutrients) responsible for its beneficial effects.

Sources:

Healthline.com

Edition.CNN.com

Heart.org

SFU.ca

EcoleChocolat.com

TheLancet.com

My.ClevelandClinic.org

MedlinePlus.gov

Escardio.org

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Related Articles
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Popular articles