HEALTH Say It Ain’t So!

higher cacao content.

Researchers found that cacao plants take up cadmium from the soil with the metal accumulating in cacao beans as the tree grows. But lead seems to enter cacao after beans are harvested, located on the outer shell but not in the bean itself. Lead levels were low after the beans were picked and removed from pods, but increased as beans dried in the sun for days. During that time lead filled dust and dirt accumulated on the beans. Because of the different ways that cadmium and lead get into chocolate, reducing the contamination requires different solutions.

Reducing lead content will mean changes in harvesting and manufacturing practices. For cadmium, it’s trickier. It will require breeding plants through genetically engineering that take up less cadmium. Another strategy is to replace older trees with younger trees because trees take up more cadmium as they get older.

CR, bless its heart, has analyzed several dark chocolate bars on the market for heavy metals and has identified five safer choices. (Note the word “safer” not “safe.”) These are: Mast 80% Cocoa, Taza Chocolate 70% Cocoa, Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate, 86% Cocoa, Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa, and Valrhona Abinoa Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa.

If you’re a chocoholic and giving up chocolate is just not possible, CR has some suggestions.

Choose dark chocolate with the lowest levels of heavy metals. This might seem a no-brainer, but finding out what the levels are may be tricky

Make chocolate a special treat. Having a serving a few days a week, especially with a product that has lower levels, may satisfy your craving while not causing undo concern.

Try dark chocolate with lower cocoa percentages. For example, choosing a bar with 70% cocoa instead of 80%.

Alternate with milk chocolate, but recognize that milk chocolate is higher in added sugars.

Don’t assume that organic chocolate is safer.

Eat a well-rounded diet. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables can provide some of the same flavanols that chocolate has. Plus they contain a variety of nutrients that may offset some of the harm of heavy metals do. These include calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc.

Something tells me that Easter baskets may have a different look this year.

I hope this finds you well. Remember to be kind and MAKE your day good! Being kind makes everyone’s day good.

Till next time

Ken Dettloff ACE Certified Personal and Brain Health Trainer The Fountains at Bronson Place