GOOD HEALTH IN CHOCOLATE

Chocolate contains a range of nutrients necessary for good health.  The chart below shows that 100 grams of milk chocolate delivers about 26% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of calcium, 13% of magnesium and about 20% of iron, minerals and trace elements important for correct body function.  It also contains water-soluble vitamins including B1, B2 or B3, which come in remarkable amounts to protect energy and protein turnover.  In all these aspects, chocolate compares very well with fresh cheese, which is considered a health food.

RDI is the amount of each nutrient needed by the body on a daily basis.  Any food that provides a nutrient that is more than 10% of the RDI is considered a good source of the nutrient.  Hence, milk chocolate is definitely a well-balanced food.

For athletes and even children, a bar of chocolate after sports or strenuous activities helps the body to recover faster by replenishing the lost carbohydrates.  So, an appropriate amount of chocolate may be a performance enhancer apart from being an energy booster.

                      COMPOSITION OF MILK CHOCOLATE
                               Milk Chocolate                    Fresh Cheese           
100g (6.5oz)        % of RDI        Absolute        % of RDI        Absolute    

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR BODY

One of the biggest myths surrounding the world's favorite food is that eating chocolate makes you fat.  The truth is no single food can be called "fattening".  It is the amount consumed that will determine whether it contributes to body fat.  It must also be remembered that food is only half of the equation: exercise and other physical activities are also crucial to control body fat.  Of course, over-consumption of food has the potential to cause weight gain.

Chocolate is usually eaten as a pleasant snack.  Unfortunately, it gets lumped in with other snack foods that probably don't have such a health pedigree.  We know that chocolate doesn't raise blood cholesterol or blood glucose levels too much.  In fact, chocolate provides essential nutrients and antioxidants, making it a healthy snack when eaten in moderation.

Most people can eat small amounts of chocolate as part of a health diet and not put on weight.  The key is to eat chocolate in moderation and exercise regularly.

TAKE HEART - EAT CHOCOLATE

Recent research has confirmed that chocolate is a good sourced of antioxidants similar to those found in red wine.

The antioxidants in chocolate, known as phenols, may exert their effect directly on low density lipoproteins (LADLE), a transporter of cholesterol known as LADLE cholesterol.  Antioxidants inhibit the damaging oxidation of LADLE, which in turn slows down the rate of fatty build-up in the arteries

Consumption of polyphenolic compounds, a type of antioxidant found in fruit, vegetables, tea and wine, chocolate, is likely to reduce the risk of heart disease by protecting body cells from damage by free radicals.

The key is to eat chocolate in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.

Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, is naturally rich in polyphenols.  Dark chocolate has more polyphenols than milk chocolate as it contains more cocoa mass.

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR SKIN

One of the greatest myths of all times, particularly amongst teenagers, is that chocolate causes acne.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is an established fact that chocolate does not cause pimples.  Poor diet is the real culprit, but in the past, it has always been easy and convenient to blame chocolate.

Hormonal changes at puberty coupled with a diet lacking in zinc and high in iodine are also high on the list of suspects.  Acne usually begins in the adolescent years when there is an increase in hormone levels causing glands to secrete a substance called sebum.  Sebum flows naturally to the surface of the skin but if the flow is blocked, the oily sebum accumulates to form a pimple.

The claim that chocolate causes acne has been around for 50 years or more.  However, research findings showed that there is no discernible difference in acne prevalence when comparing chocolate bar consumption to a control bar containing no chocolate.  Hence, the conclusion is that the "ingestion of high amounts of chocolate did not materially affect the course of acne vulgaris or the output or composition of sebum."

So you can be assured that when it comes to pimple, chocolate is 'not guilty'.  Blame those hormones.

EAT CHOCOLATE, BE HAPPY

Most people enjoy eating chocolate,  Chocolate is 'a very powerful food' that fits perfectly into healthy eating.

When we eat something we enjoy, we produce endorphins.  This is not exclusive to chocolate but anything that tastes good induces endorphin release.  Endorphins are a family of small proteins and the available evidence that the pleasure of eating chocolate is mediated by endorphins.  Therefore, highly desirable and palatable foods like chocolate have their pleasure enhanced by the release of endorphins in the brain.  This is why eating chocolate is a pleasurable experience.

Besides the release of endorphins, the other reasons behind the pleasure of eating chocolate are due to the sensory properties of chocolate, such as the aroma, taste and mouth-feel that combine to provide a wonderful on-going desire for the pleasure of chocolate consumption.  Some say chocolate is soothing simply because it triggers strong memories of the food that comforted or rewarded us as children.

So, eating chocolate truly is one of life's pleasure.

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR DENTAL HEALTH

Tooth decay is a multi-facturial phenomenon and the erosion process of the enamel on the tooth surface is dynamic.  Acid produced by the breakdown of food carbohydrates in the mouth is the cause of this erosion.

Once of the few valid criticisms of sugars is that they can contribute to tooth decay (caries).  Chocolate, being a source of sugars sucrose and lactose has been implicated as a cause of tooth decay.  However, tooth decay is not the domain of sugar alone - most starches and sugars have the potential to cause dental caries.  For caries to form, bacteria on the tooth surface (plaque) break down starch and metabolise sugars to form weak acids, mainly lactic acid, which slowly demineralise the tooth surface.  Therefore, caries are the side effect of bacteria metabolising carbohydrates and not the direct effect of sugar.  Without bacterial plaque, there would be no tooth decay.

Good oral hygiene procedures and the fluoridation of water have played a role in the reduction of caries in some countries despite the fact that sugar consumption has stayed the same or even decreased.

The other good news is that tannin in cocoa may help to prevent caries by reducing the growth of plaque and the oxalic acid in chocolate appears to lower acid production.

So, eating the world's favourite chocolate will not cause tooth decay.  Just remember to always brush your teeth.

(Source: Malaysian Cocoa Board)