Nutritional Information

The Heart-Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled

It is no secret that fruits, vegetables and grains convey health benefits - we've been told that for years. But did you know that chocolate could result in health benefits, more specifically heart-health benefits?

What are flavonoids?

Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found in plant-based foods recognized as exuding certain health benefits.

Flavonoids are found in a wide array of foods and beverages, such as cranberries, apples, peanuts, chocolate, onions, tea and red wine. There are more than 4,000 flavonoid compounds; flavonoids are a subgroup of a large class called polyphenols.

Have you had your flavonoids today?

While not a question normally asked at a social gathering, flavonoids have become quite a hot topic in the media and in scientific journals.

Flavonoids provide important protective benefits to plants, such as in repairing damage and shielding from environmental toxins. When we consume plant-based foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power. Antioxidants are believed to help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals, formed by normal bodily processes such as breathing or environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke. When the body lacks adequate levels of antioxidants, free radical damage ensues, leading to increases in LDL-cholesterol oxidation and plaque formation on arterial walls.

In addition to their antioxidant capabilities, flavonoids also:

Are thought to help reduce platelet activation
May affect the relaxation capabilities of blood vessels
May positively affect the balance of certain hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids, which arethought to play a role in cardiovascular health.

Forms of Chocolate

Before you grab a chocolate candy bar or slice of chocolate cake, let’s look at what forms of chocolate would be ideal over others:

When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce its naturally pungent taste. Flavonoids (polyphenols) provide this pungent taste. The more chocolate is processed (such as fermentation, alkalizing, roasting), the more flavonoids are lost.

To date, dark chocolate appears to retain the highest level of flavonoids. So your best bet is to choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate.

Some chocolate manufacturers are studying ways to retain the highest level of flavonoids while still providing acceptable taste. Stay tuned for more information in this area.

What about all of the fat in chocolate?

You may be surprised to find out that chocolate isn’t as bad as once perceived. The fat in chocolate, from cocoa butter, is comprised of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat. Saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and risk for heart disease.

Research indicates that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol neither raising nor lowering LDL-cholesterol levels. Palmitic acid on the other hand, does affect cholesterol levels but only comprises one-third of the fat calories in chocolate.

What about nut allergies?

Although our chocolates do not contain nut or nut by-products (oils, etc.), please note that some equipment used in the production of our chocolates may, at times, also be used to produce other chocolates which may containing nuts or nut by-products.

Should you have a nut-based allergy, we strongly advise that you not ingest our products unless advised it is safe to do so by your treating physician. By the posting of this information, National Chocolate Dispatch dba ABChocolates accepts no liability for harm or damages caused by the ingestion of, or contact with, our chocolates by any person with any nut-based allergies.

Dark chocolate is good for the heart!

American researchers have in a study found that 46 grams of dark chocolate containing 70 percent cocoa a day helps blood vessels expand, which in turn decreases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diseases linked to poor circulation. Another positive effect is that dark chocolate also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, according to the results published by the magazine Journal of American College of Nutrition. Chocolate contains phenols and flavonoids, chemical substances that facilitate blood circulation and lower the risk of heart diseases and vascular disorder.

BBC News, June 1st, 2004.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, No. 3, 2004.

More Fun Facts!

A chocolate bar contains more calcium, protein and B2 vitamin than a banana or an orange.
Chocolate contains tannins that counteract an enzyme that causes caries and the fat prevents the sugar from sticking on the teeth. Chocolate also contains calcium and fluoride which in their turn strengthen the teeth and fight cavities.
Three breweries have chocolate flavors beer in their selections. The first one was Young’s with their Double Chocolate Stout and now the Danish brewery giant Carlsberg is releasing its peer Criollo Stout. Sweden also has its own "chocolate beer" in the shape of a stout brewed in the small brewery in Bredaryd. This beer was selected "the best beer in Europe" amongst 300 labels at a major European beer festival. USA also has a sought after brew called Black Chocolate Stout made by Brooklyn Brewery.
It is said that Madame du Barry, courtesan and mistress of Louis XV, always served her lovers a cup of chocolat before they were let in to her bedroom, and that the great lover and alchemist Casanova, who drank his cioccolata at Cafe Florian in Venice, considered chocolate more stimulating than champagne.