Dark Chocolate and Your Health

 

These days, dark chocolate is getting a lot of attention in the media because of its reputed health benefits. But where there's hype, you're almost sure to find misinformation. So while chocolate can be an excellent nutritional resource, I'd like to separate fact from fiction so that you can make smart decisions about the role chocolate plays in your life.

 

All chocolate is made from the cacao bean, and this is where the health benefits really come from. Cacao is possibly the number one food source of both magnesium (the #1 dietary deficiency in America) and antioxidants. It also boasts a number of neurotransmitters, which make chocolate such an outstanding "feel good" food. (These can help to regulate brain function, sleep, hormones, and more.)

 

Contrary to popular belief, there is possibly no caffeine at all in cacao. There is a similar element to it, but the lift it gives is not like the jittery lift of caffeine.

Also, the fat in cacao is a healthy form. Eaten in moderation, chocolate can actually help with cholesterol levels and blood pressure. (Note: if not organic, the high fat content stores the many pesticides typically used on cacao.)

 

To make chocolate from cacao, however, other ingredients are added, and this is where you have to be careful. Dairy products (as found in milk chocolate) and refined sugar (found in almost all chocolate) both diminish the health benefits of the cacao. Couple this to the fact that most cacao sources are not organic, and you've got an unhealthy mix of milk, sugar, and toxins competing with the nutritional value of cacao.

 

Chocolate can be a satisfying and nutritious treat when eaten in moderation and when consumed in its most natural form. Although "raw" costs more, I always encourage a little raw chocolate in place of unhealthy desserts. Raw chocolates are usually made by companies with a lot of integrity, so you'll usually find that they're also organic and sometimes fair trade as well. (There's a lot of slavery in the chocolate industry, and this mitigates that problem.)

If you're interested in the raw, organic, fair trade chocolate we currently recommend for its awesome taste, convenient "piece" packaging (helps with moderation) and its excellent value compared to most raw chocolate, please check out my separate website: Raw Chocolate Business