Chocolate
The new Superfood!
By: Jansen Fredal

My husband, upon hearing that I am pregnant with our second child, commented, “Should I warn the chocolate manufacturers to increase production?” “No,” I declared. “I’m a reformed sugar consumer.” Then came the e-mail from my editor, “Could you write an article on chocolate?” You can’t write an article without intense research, can you?

In my business, we strive to get people to sit down to dinner as often as possible. It’s not enough to just eat together, we have to make certain that our customers eat healthfully. That’s why I’m constantly reading books and studies on nutrition. Imagine my surprise when I started seeing chocolate listed as a new superfood. Of course, the articles don’t mention Snickers bars, s’mores or frozen hot chocolate ... still, chocolate as a superfood?

Chocolate has an amazing past that dates back to 460-480 A.D. (the earliest scientifically noted chocolate residue). The Mayan Indians worshiped the cacao bean as an idol. Columbus, then Cortez, brought cacao beans to Europe from the New World, and the rest is history.Before you get excited and rip open that peanut butter cup, let me explain that not all chocolate is created equal. Milk chocolate and white chocolate may be delicious, but it’s dark chocolate that is making all the headlines. As a matter of fact, when it comes to health properties of chocolate - the more concentrated cocoa, the better.

So what makes dark chocolate such a healthy option? Dark chocolate contains magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur and potassium. Dark chocolate also contains ananamide, a “bliss chemical,” which probably explains the natural mood boost you get after consuming it. It has flavonoids, which keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and promotes better blood flow to the heart. Dark chocolate actually has a higher level of flavonoids than any other recommended foods including green tea, black tea, red wine and blueberries. Hershey’s claims that one serving (37g) of their Extra Dark chocolate is equivalent to 3 cups of tea, 2 glasses of red wine or 1 1/2 cups of blueberries in antioxidants.

Dark chocolate is also an excellent energy source because it releases slowly into the bloodstream and does not elevate insulin levels. (It’s GI rating is only 22.) And intriguingly, German researchers did a study which suggests that consumption of hot cocoa containing a hefty dose of flavonoids serves as a natural sunscreen, lessening the redness of skin upon exposure to UV light. It also made skin smoother and helped it retain moisture.

A quick warning: Because it is calorie concentrated, a little goes a long way and consumption in moderation (about 1.5-2 oz per day) is important. Dark chocolate has often been accused of containing high levels of caffeine. Actually, a 1.4 oz serving of chocolate has the same amount of caffeine as one cup of decaf coffee. Dark chocolate also contains theobromine, a gentle stimulant, with 25 percent the stimulant power of caffeine.

So how do you add dark chocolate to your daily diet? To start, look for chocolate that has 60 percent or more cacao. One of Kansas City’s favorite chocolate companies, Russell Stover, is now selling a 70 percent cacao bar available at numerous locations across the Kansas City area. Ghiradelli makes a velvety dark chocolate bar with 72 percent cacao called the Twilight Delight. Hershey’s also has the aforementioned Extra Dark chocolate line.

The intense flavors of dark chocolate can start off as a challenge for your palate but as you consume it regularly, you’ll begin to notice subtle distinctions similar to wine. To best taste dark chocolate, place a small room temperature piece in your mouth and allow the chocolate to melt on your tongue. Melting will release more compounds for you to smell. Close your eyes and enjoy the flavors. Yummmm. And this is good for me?!!

Finally, even if your puppy begs and begs - NEVER give your dog chocolate. Your dog lacks the enzymes to metabolize theobromine, which could result in cardiac arrest for your precious pet. Even a little bit is very dangerous.

Now, go forth and eat dark chocolate (with a little milk and white chocolate thrown in for fun)! Your body will be glad that you did.