By Carol Chuang, MS, CNS, CHC, CMTA
Few foods evoke as much passion as chocolate. Now and then, chocolate lovers may reveal that the notion of giving it up, even if it means being healthier, is often out of the question. Fortunately, this is one instance when you can have your chocolate and eat it too, because study after study has confirmed that chocolate is actually very good for you.
However, not all chocolate is created equal. Only dark chocolate is healthy, not milk chocolate, not white chocolate and not any combination in between.
In the following, we will look at why dark chocolate is healthy, how to choose the best chocolate for your body, and who should avoid eating chocolate.
Why Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate is made from cocoa bean (cacao), which comes from plants. That means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. Cocoa contains flavonoids which are naturally-occurring compounds found in plants. Flavonoids act as antioxidants, helping the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal metabolism, the immune system, and environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, and herbicides. There is evidence that consumption of dark chocolate can:Lower blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by up to 10%.Stimulate endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure.Act as an antidepressant as it contains serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects our mood among its many other functions.Act as a pick-me-up as it contains stimulants like theobromine and caffeine. How To Choose The Healthiest Chocolate A new 2009 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the cocoa antioxidant contents of commercially available chocolate- and cocoa-containing products marketed in the US. The study concluded that products with the highest level of antioxidants were (in descending order):1. Natural cocoa powder2. Unsweetened baking chocolate3. Dark chocolate4. Semi-sweet chocolate chips5. Milk chocolate6. Chocolate syrup The study found that chocolate's health benefits are derived mainly from the antioxidants present in cocoa. Therefore, it is not surprising that pure cocoa powder ranks number one when it comes to health benefits. Also, the more processing (such as fermentation, alkalizing, roasting) the cocoa gets, the less antioxidant left in the end product. The typical commercial cocoa is treated with alkali to produce a darker, richer taste. This process can reduce the flavonoid content by as much as 50 percent.
Who Should Avoid Eating Chocolate
Despite all the positive research, this is not a license to consume as much dark chocolate as you like. If you are struggling with any serious diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, or cancer, you should refrain from eating chocolate as most chocolate contains sugar and sugar depresses your immune system.
If you have acne or any acne-like skin eruptions, chocolate will likely aggravate the skin condition.
If you suffer from migraines, chemicals in chocolate may trigger the headaches.
If you have intense chocolate cravings, you are likely not eating the correct balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates for your metabolic type. Once this imbalance is addressed, you will find that your desire for sweets decline substantially.
If you tend to seek comfort from chocolate when you are upset, angry, bored, lonely, or depressed, you have some deeper unresolved emotional issues that need to be dealt with. If you have a hard time handling them, you should reach out for professional help instead.
The Bottom Line
It is undeniable that chocolate contains a large number of flavonoids with powerful antioxidant effects. Although chocolate may be a preferred choice of treat, it is not advisable to indulge. Chocolate is a perfect example of when less is more. Researchers found that about ¼ ounce of dark chocolate per day is the ideal amount to achieve protection against inflammation and heart disease.
Keep in mind that your best choice is raw cacao (cocoa bean) or unprocessed cocoa powder, followed by high quality dark chocolate with 65 percent or higher cocoa content. If you opt for most commercial, heavily processed chocolate, don't expect it to be healthy.
Lastly, although chocolate is derived from plants and is antioxidant-rich, it is not a substitute for vegetables which are loaded with other healthy substances like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Further, chocolate contains sugar and fat and is much more calorie-dense than vegetables.
© Carol Chuang 2010
By Carol Chuang, MS, CHC, CMTA
The obesity epidemic is one of America's most serious health problems. Adult obesity rates have doubled since 1980, from 15% to 30%, while childhood obesity rates have more than tripled. Increasingly, more Americans are searching for low-calorie options to control their weight and food makers roll out new artificial sweeteners to meet this rising demand. Artificial sweeteners are a billion dollar industry. Nowadays, they are found in so many foods, from diet drinks, yogurt, snacks, dessert, candies, chewing gums, children's vitamins, over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, to even water.
"Artificial" means something that is not found in nature; it is a man-made chemical compound. When you consume them day-in, day-out, what effect do they have on your body? Is it really safe for long-term consumption? Does it really help prevent you from gaining weight?
Artificial sweeteners are just about the worst of all possible worlds, as far as dietary choices go. They are beyond processed, completely unnatural, insufficiently tested for long-term safety, and have a long history of causing health problems. They are extreme examples of what has gone wrong with our modern day diet. Studies show that people who consume diet drinks tend to gain more weight than people who consume regular soft drinks.
In the following, we will first look at why you should not consume anything sweetened with aspartame and sucralose, the two most popular artificial sweeteners on the market. Then we will look at the new stevia-based sweeteners such as Truvia and PureVia, and lastly, some natural options for your sweet tooth.
Aspartame was originally developed in a lab as a drug to treat peptic ulcer. In 1965, a scientist at G. D. Searle & Co., licked his fingers to pick up a piece of paper, and got the world's first taste of this chemical. Since its approval in 1981, aspartame has gained substantial market share over saccharin (Sweet'N Low), which has been determined to increase the risk of bladder cancer in rats.
Aspartame is also known as NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel. It is an ingredient used in over 6,000 consumer foods and beverages worldwide and is found in little blue packets at coffee shops and restaurants.
Aspartame has been touted as safe because it is made from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. However, the statement is not entirely true. Aspartame is not a natural product; it is a synthesized compound composed of 50% phenylalanine (an amino acid), 40% aspartic acid (also an amino acid) and 10% methanol (wood alcohol or paint remover). Aspartame breaks down into its constituents under conditions of elevated temperature or high pH (high alkalinity). The following are some reasons why aspartame is not as safe as it claims:
Phenylalanine changes brain chemistry
· Causes mental retardation in people who have the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU).
· When consumed in high concentrations, it interferes with the growth of the fetus' brain.
· Blocks production of serotonin, a neurostransmitter that controls eating patterns, resulting in sugar and carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain. Therefore, diabetics, should never use aspartame as a substitute for sugar. Further, low serotonin is associated with symptoms from premenstrual syndrome, mood swings, to depression.
· Changes dopamine level in brain and exacerbates symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
Aspartic acid is neurotoxic
Methanol is extremely toxic
In the ten years from 1981 to 1991, 10,000 aspartame complaints had been filed with the FDA, totaling over 80% of all FDA complaints. Then in 1992, the FDA quit categorizing complaints as an aspartame grievance and began putting them into generic categories. So after 1992, no more specific aspartame complaints were recorded.
In 1976, a chemistry student at Queen Elizabeth College in London was working with his advisor to create new pesticides. They accidentally discovered an exceptionally sweet compound by adding chlorine to sugar and putting it through a lengthy chemical transformation process. This compound eventually became sucralose and is marketed by Tate & Lyle under the name Splenda. It was first approved for use in the U.S. in 1998.
Sucralose is used in more than 4,500 food and beverage products and is found in little yellow packets at coffee shops and restaurants. It has at least twice the shelf life of aspartame and unlike aspartame, does not react to heat and can be used for baking. As a result, sucralose became an overnight success.
Splenda is marketed as natural and safe, "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." But nowhere in nature is there any form of sugar that remotely resembles the resulting chlorinated hydrocarbon known as sucralose:
1,6-dichloro-1, 6-dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside.
Besides, there are no long-term safety trials done on any humans, only animals, and it was over a mere two-year period.
Since the introduction of sucralose, there have been many reported side effects:
Worse, a recent Duke University study on rats shows that Splenda
Consuming sucralose is almost like putting pesticide in your body. Tate & Lyle admitted that 15% of sucralose is absorbed by the body and some into the fat tissues, however, we don't know what amount stays and what amount gets flushed out.
In early 2009, Coca-Cola/Cargill (with brand name Truvia) as well as PepsiCo/Whole Earth Sweetener Co. (with brand name PureVia) began marketing this new no-calorie sweetener made from erythritol (a natural sugar alcohol from fruits and fermented foods) and steviol glycoside or rebiana (a single compound extracted from the South American herb, stevia).
This natural herb, stevia, has been safely used as a sweetener in South America for over 1,500 years with no known or reported harmful effects. Stevia is allowed for use as a food additive in 12 countries, including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. However, to this date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still bans its use as a food additive, and only allows it as a dietary supplement to be sold in health food stores. Many believed that the FDA's actions are nothing more than a restraint to trade, designed to benefit the artificial sweetener industry as stevia is a natural herb and cannot be patented.
So the question is: Are Truvia and PureVia safe?
The answer is: We don't know yet.
Although it is quite safe to consume whole stevia leaves, there is no long-term study on whether consuming isolated compounds, like steviol glycoside, extracted from the whole herb will be harmful to humans. As we always say, time will tell.
Therefore, for diabetics seeking a zero-calorie sweetener that doesn't affect blood glucose, stevia is still the safest and most natural choice available at this moment. Remember, do not confuse Truvia and PureVia with stevia. Until the long-term effects of Truvia and PureVia are determined, it is not wise to play guinea pig with your own health.
Although natural sweeteners are much more nutritious than refined sugars and contain vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, they are still caloric and have an effect on blood glucose (except stevia). Therefore, use in moderation. If you struggle with diabetes or extra weight, you are better off avoiding them.
The following are some healthier sweet options:
Agave nectar: Made from the agave plant in Mexico. Agave is less viscous than honey and has a neutral taste. Contains mainly fructose with some glucose.
Barley Malt: Dark, sticky, and boldly flavored. Contains primarily maltose, a complex sugar.
Date Sugar: Ground from dehydrated dates. Can be used in baking but not for beverages as the tiny pieces won't dissolve.
Honey: A whole food made by bees from flower nectar. Raw is best as the enzymes are not destroyed during processing.
Maple Syrup: Boiled-down sap of maple trees. Look for 100% maple syrup with no additives.
Maple Sugar: What is left when all of the liquid has been cooked out of maple syrup. It is about twice as sweet as refined white sugar.
Molasses Unsulfured molasses is made from the juice of sun-ripened cane; sulfured molasses is a byproduct of refined sugar; blackstrap molasses is the residue of the cane syrup after the sugar crystals have been separated.
Rice Syrup: A traditional Asian sweetener made from rice starch converted into maltose, a complex sugar.
Sorghum Syrup: From sorghum cane juice, boiled to syrup.
Stevia: A natural zero-calorie sweetener that does not spike blood glucose. Available as a powder or extract, its taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar; some say it has a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Many stevia manufactures have extracted the bitterness from the herb, so look for a brand that agrees with you most.
© Carol Chuang 2009
