Healthy Chocolate – Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Healthy chocolate may sound contradictory but in fact the health benefits of dark chocolate are very real. Organic chocolate is becoming more popular as people hear more about how it can fit into a healthful lifestyle.

History of Chocolate

The indigenous people of Central America first used chocolate some 3,500 years ago. It was extracted from the seeds of the cacao tree, which were fermented, dried, cleaned, and roasted. Then shell is then removed and the beans are crushed into a liquid. This liquid can be processed into either cocoa butter or cocoa solids.

This was effectively the first organic chocolate, and had a strong bitter taste. As the civilized world became aware of chocolate, the expense in procuring and processing it made it a delicacy that only the wealthy could afford.

This was until an entrepreneur named Milton Hershey in 1903 combined milk and sugar with this bitter dark chocolate in a commercial process that yielded what we know today as milk chocolate, and reduced the price to a point where everyone could afford it.

The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Just what are the benefits that you can expect from indulging (in moderation of course) in the occasional healthy chocolate treat?

• Polyphenols in chocolate tend to reduce inflammation
• Improved endothelial function (better blood pressure control)
• Improvement in insulin sensitivity and blood flow
• Lowered LDL levels and increased HDL levels
• Polyphenols block the action of certain enzymes cancers need for growth

Those are just a few of the potential benefits of healthy chocolate consumption, but let me make emphasize once again that gorging yourself with chocolate is not a healthful practice. Chocolate is a beneficial food when used in moderation!

It’s an occasional treat that has the added benefit of being healthy for you in the right form and amount. That’s how you should look at it, and try always to remember to indulge only in moderation.

Healthy Chocolate

The health benefits of dark chocolate especially organic chocolate are what I mean when I use the term healthful in regard to chocolate. This is chocolate minus the milk, sugar, and other additives used in processing of milk chocolate.

Please don’t take this to mean that everything with chocolate in it is healthful. That is not the case. Women are especially fond of chocolate and I don’t want this article taken as a license to indulge without limit.

Let me tell you about what you should be looking for to obtain real benefits and not just load yourself with fat and sugar. There are many types of chocolate products out there, but let’s key in on the ones that will both taste good and fit into your wellness lifestyle.

Look for the darkest chocolate you can find. You want at least 70% real cocoa, as more than that may be to bitter for you to tolerate

Avoid milk chocolate as the milk in it blocks the absorption of the beneficial polyphenols

Consume small amounts, (under 30 grams per day)

Read the label carefully and avoid any product with hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup as these ingredients cancel out the health benefits of dark chocolate.