Decrease Your Cancer Risk With Dark Chocolate

Everyone gets excited at the thought of eating decadent chocolate and also receiving tremendous health benefits. There's no doubt that this superfood is healthy, but the catch is that you need to control how much and which kind of chocolate you decide to include in your daily diet.

The Facts

To get the maximum benefits of chocolate, eat 1 to 2 oz. per day and choose dark chocolate, preferably one that is made of 65 percent cocoa. The reason? Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which are an extremely high source of antioxidants. Therefore, the higher the concentration of cocoa in the chocolate, the bigger antioxidant punch you'll get.

The Darker, the Better

Flavonoids are the particular class of antioxidants highly concentrated in dark chocolate, some in the form of procyanidins (catechin and epicatechin). Flavonoids are found in hundreds of foods that we eat, from red wine and nuts to olives and tea to berries. Shortly after we eat chocolate, the flavonoids--especially the catechins--are absorbed from the intestines to assert their antioxidant and antiplatelet, or heart-healthy, qualities throughout the body.

Research is Ongoing

Research is emerging in the area of dark chocolate and cancer. There are numerous ongoing studies; some are conducted in cell lines, others are in animals, and only a handful are conducted in humans. Research certainly provides a reality check--and helps guide our recommendations for consuming this food once thought to be sinful.

Preclinical studies (not in humans) have shown that flavonoids in chocolate stop cell division, which could potentially inhibit development of a cancerous tumor. In addition, a study published in the "American Journal of Nutrition 2005" (Sies, et al) showed that the intake of flavonoid-rich chocolate decreased the concentrations of proinflammatory enzymes.

Good Mood

Finally, as most people know, chocolate stimulates pleasure centers in the brain, and induces endorphins to improve your mood.

Antioxidant Activity

Let's face it, there are many types of commercially available chocolates to choose from, so, where should you start? A survey evaluated a number of cocoa and cocoa-containing products for their antioxidant activity (Miller et al, 2006 "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry"). The study found that natural cocoa had the highest levels of antioxidants followed by baking chocolates, dark chocolates and then baking chips. Milk chocolate and syrups were lowest in antioxidant activity. Evidence shows that flavonoids bind to the proteins in milk, therefore render them less active than their darker counterparts. This further emphasizes the recommendation to choose a dark chocolate with the highest cocoa content for maximum cancer prevention potential.