Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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TIM JOHNSON
Dark chocolate deemed beneficial
Staff Writer tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5750
said. But the amount of chocolate used in the research was only six grams – less than onefourth of an ounce, according to www.metricconversions.org. And doctors were quick to point out that eating enough chocolate to gain weight increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Hershey’s does make a variety of Kisses called Special Dark Chocolate. One Kiss weighs 4.56 grams, so six grams would be less than 1 1/2 Kisses. Kolo is willing to allow people a little more slack. “An ounce of chocolate (per day) would be a reasonable amount to limit yourself to,” she said. That would be about six of the Special Dark Chocolate Kisses. Unfortunately, milk chocolate, which is more popular, is less beneficial, Kolo said. “The darker chocolate has a higher percentage of the flavenols and antioxidants,” she said. “When they add milk and add fat and sugar to make milk chocolate, milk binds some of the antioxidants so they can’t be used by the body – and the milk and sugar add calories,” as do extra ingredients like caramel and cream. “So, if you’re thinking of chocolate as a health food, the way is to buy dark chocolate and look for a high percentage of cocoa solids, such as 70 percent or higher.” For some people, chocolate could pose a health risk, Kolo said. Chocolate contains a small amount of caffeine, which can cause insomnia and heart palpitations, absorb water and increase stomach acid. For people with hypoglycemia, chocolate can cause low
A study by a German group has confirmed that dark chocolate is good for people – in small amounts. It’s nice to know the world’s favorite confection might have redeeming qualities. The study, conducted by the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany, found that people who ate six grams of dark chocolate a day had a 39 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke, according to an Associated Press article. Researchers tracked 20,000 people for eight years to reach their conclusions. Dark chocolate’s health benefits come primarily from two kinds of ingredients: Antioxidants and flavenols, said Carol Kolo, dietitian at Alegent Health Mercy Hospital. “Antioxidants are used by our bodies to reduce damage caused by free radicals,” she said. “That would be picking up environmental contaminants” such as LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, which dark chocolate actually reduces. Other plants and plant products contain flavenols, too, Kolo said, including cranberries, apples, peanuts, onions, tea and red wine. Flavenols can make the muscles in blood vessels widen, which reduces blood pressure, the AP article stated. For some people, dark chocolate also improves mood by slightly boosting seratonin and endorphin levels. Stearic and oleic acids, two of the three saturated fats in dark chocolate, do not boost cholesterol, Kolo said. “Palmitic acid does affect cholesterol levels, but it’s only about one-third of the fat,” she
blood sugar, and women with fibrocystic disease may have problems with chocolate. Those with kidney stones might want to avoid chocolate, too, since chocolate contains oxalates, which increase kidney stone formation. And the chemical tyramine in chocolate is believed to be a trigger for migraine headaches. “For folks who aren’t having any problems such as these, they should look for high-quality, dark chocolate that has those solids and make an effort to think about portion size,” she said. Also, look for chocolate with no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat or oil. “To avoid overindulging in chocolate, after you’ve had a nice lunch or dinner, have one piece
of chocolate,” Kolo said. “Or, to have a snack between meals, eat a piece of fruit, which would help satisfy your craving for something sweet, and then follow up with a small piece of chocolate.” She recommended buying chocolate in pieces of one-half or one ounce, keeping it in the freezer and taking one piece out before dinner to eat afterwards. “Enjoy some chocolate, but eat it in moderation,” she summarized. Of course, there is another option: Assume the participants in the study lied through their teeth about how much chocolate they ate and eat as much as you want.
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