Chocolate production starts with the cocoa bean. During processing, cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans and then undergoes further processing to make various cocoa products such as unsweetened cooking chocolate, solid dark and milk chocolate candies and cocoa powder. While high in fat, much of the saturated fat in cocoa products comes from stearic acid, which does not present the same heart disease risks as other types of saturated fat.
Content
Cocoa beans are comprised of approximately 54 percent fat. Of this fat, approximately 33 percent is stearic acid. Stearic acid also represents about one-third of the total fat in cocoa butter and about half of cocoa butter's saturated fat. The amount of stearic acid in chocolate varies, however, depending on the product's cocoa butter content. According to Yale New Haven Hospital, most dark chocolate contains about 70 percent cocoa butter; whereas, most commercial milk chocolate bars are only 20 percent cocoa butter. Thus, dark chocolate is generally a better source of stearic acid than milk chocolate.
Health Effects
While it is a saturated fat, stearic acid acts differently in the body compared to other types of saturated fats such as butterfat or animal fat. Unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid is converted in the liver to the heart-healthy fat, oleic acid; also, it has not been associated with the heart disease risk factor of raising LDL, "bad" cholesterol. A review published in "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2010 concluded that compared to other saturated fats, stearic acid lowers LDL cholesterol, exerts a neutral effect on HDL --- "good" cholesterol --- and lowers the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol.
Other Healthy Substances in Cocoa
In addition to stearic acid, cocoa butter products provide other healthy substances, including essential minerals phosphorus and magnesium. Cocoa also contains numerous phenolic compounds that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants help the body resist free radical damage that may contribute to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. In addition to their free radical-scavenging effects, research indicates cocoa phenols also lower blood pressure, benefit cholesterol levels and improve blood flow to the brain and heart, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Considerations
Although it contains some potentially healthy substances like stearic acid and antioxidants, cocoa is still high in fat and calories and should thus be consumed only in moderation to avoid weight gain and weight-related health problems. More heavily-processed cocoa products also contain more fat, more sugar and less phenols than purer cocoa. For the most health benefits, Cleveland Clinic recommends choosing less-processed cocoa products such as dark chocolate and cocoa powder that has not been "Dutch"-processed. Besides cocoa, stearic acid can also be obtained from other foods, such as nuts, seeds and soybeans.
References
- World Cocoa Foundation: How Chocolate is Made
- Yale New Haven Hospital: Chocolate -- Food of The Gods
- Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition: Nutrition
- The Story of Chocolate: Stearic Acid
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Cardiovascular Disease Risk of Dietary Stearic Acid Compared With Trans, Other Saturated, and Unsaturated Fatty Acids: A Systematic Review; J.E. Hunter, et al.; January 2010
- National Cancer Institute: Top Sources of Stearic Acid Among US Population, 2005--2006
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