Cocoa beans are processed into cocoa solids, and these solids contain antioxidants that are thought to be helpful in battling high blood pressure, heart disease, arterial plaque, cancer and stroke. Pure, dark, unsweetened chocolate tastes bitter and has high amounts of cocoa. The greater the cocoa content, the more antioxidants are in the chocolate. When ingredients are added to chocolate, calories and fat content rises, and the level of antioxidants drops. Milk chocolate and other chocolate candies with added nuts, caramel, peanut butter or other additives do not offer the health benefits obtained from dark chocolate.
Blood Pressure Reduction
Some people with hypertension can reduce their blood pressure by eating dark chocolate. A study by Dr. Karin Ried and her team at the University of Adelaide in Australia examined the effects of chocolate on blood pressure. Researchers found that dark chocolate "can significantly, but modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure," according to results of the study published in "BioMed Central" in 2010.
Flavonoids and Flavanols
Flavonoids exist naturally in plant-based foods and offer various health benefits. Flavanols are the primary type of flavonoid in cocoa and chocolate. They have antioxidant qualities and have a positive impact on vascular health, including lowering blood pressure, increasing blood flow to the heart and brain and reducing cholesterol.
Flavanols give cocoa its strong flavor, which may be lost -- along with the health benefits -- when the cocoa is processed. Chocolate manufacturers and scientists regularly experiment with ways to maintain high flavanol levels in candy while not losing any of the chocolate's flavor.
Cocoa beans have high polyphenol levels. Polyphenols, which are sometimes called phytonutrients, are antioxidants found in plants. When cocoa beans are processed, some of the polyphenols are destroyed by chemical changes and temperature. Eating cocoa-rich foods provides healthy polyphenols, and the cocoa phenols are the antioxidants that give dark chocolate the capacity to lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate contains about eight times the polyphenol antioxidants as those found in polyphenol-rich strawberries.
Dark chocolate is not a substitute for treatments prescribed by medical professionals.
Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate
When cocoa is processed into candy and other chocolate products, the purpose of some of the production steps is to reduce the cocoa's bitterness. Not all types of chocolate end up with high levels of flavanols because the more the chocolate is processed, the more flavonols are destroyed. Whether or not dark chocolate will retain its original, natural antioxidant qualities depends on the amount of processing and the type of production. Nevertheless, if you are seeking health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Look for dark chocolate cocoa powder that has not gone through Dutch processing, a procedure during which the cocoa is treated with an alkali that neutralizes the chocolate's natural acidity. Unfortunately, Dutch processing eliminates some of cocoa's beneficial antioxidants.
References
- ScienceDaily: In Chocolate, More Cocoa Means Higher Antioxidant Capacity
- BioMed Central: Does Chocolate Reduce Blood Pressure? A Meta-Analysis
- The Cleveland Clinic: Heart-Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled
- HealthCastle.com: Health Benefits of Chocolate?
- AvianWeb: Health Benefits of Organic, Raw Chocolate
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