Chocolate is a popular ingredient in some foods, beverages and candies. It is processed from the cocoa bean into a variety of flavors. Studies have shown chocolate to interact directly with certain compounds in the body to influence physiological and psychological processes. The health benefits of chocolate due to these effects on the body can be a popular topic.
Blood Pressure
Flavonoid compounds in chocolate increase nitric oxide processing in the body. A 2001 study in Boston compared the effects of flavonoid-rich chocolate with processed chocolate containing fewer flavonoids. Chocolate products, such as syrups and milk chocolate, usually contain fewer flavonoids than dark chocolate. Nitric oxide activity in the body was greater after the drinking of cocoa beverages with high flavonoid content. One of the study's researchers, Norman K. Hollenberg, M.D., of Harvard Medical School, noted that this nitric oxide activity helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. The study was planned after observations of cocoa-drinking islanders in Kuna showed healthy blood pressure across the population. These people drink five cups of cocoa each day, on average.
Opioid Production
Research has shown that ingestion of chocolate affects the brain similarly to opiate substances. A University of Michigan study by Adam Drewnowski, nutritionist and director of the school's Human Nutrition Program, examined this phenomenon. The study used 20 different chocolate dairy products with a female study population, allowing only small tastes of each. Opiates were produced during these tests. These chemicals can cause euphoria and help with pain relief. The effect was decreased when the opioid receptors in the brain were blocked, thus minimizing the impact of the chocolate. The exact ingredients in the chocolate that caused these reactions were not isolated. The study was published in the April 1992 journal of Trend in Food Science & Technology.
Blood Flow
A February 2002 presentation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science noted the increased blood flow that results from eating chocolate high in flavonols. A study was conducted among 20 to 40 year-olds to compare physiological changes from 25 mg of dark chocolate to those by a standard "baby" dose of aspirin, 81 mg. The flavanols from chocolate had similar effects as the aspirin on reducing blood platelet clotting. A nutritionist involved with the study did not recommend replacing aspirin with chocolate, however. This is partly due to the need for additional research into the long-term effects of increased chocolate consumption.
Anandamide Receptors
Chocolate contains anandamide that affects anandamide receptors in the brain similarly to marijuana and other cannabinoids. A study at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego found three substances in chocolate that can mimic marijuana, however the effects are more mild. Nonetheless, these reactions from chocolate may influence mood. The anandamide in chocolate binds to the brain's receptors in a similar way as THC in marijuana. When these reactions occur, a general sense of well-being can result from increased exposure to anandamide, though with chocolate this is more subtle than with marijuana. A researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health estimated that the average person would need to consume 25 pounds of chocolate to get the full effect of marijuana.
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