Chocolate: Is your passion also your poison?
February 12, 2002 | 12:00am
It doesn’t fall into one of the basic food groups. But many people I know would like to believe chocolate is essential to their diets.
Chocolate’s wide appeal stems from its seemingly unlimited ability to satisfy. To many people, no food tastes better or works well to console, reward, or to say "I love you." If you’re considering chocolates for someone you love this Valentine’s Day, this perspective on chocolate and your health should be easy to swallow.
Despite popular beliefs to the contrary, science has not proved that the following conditions have a chocolate connection:
• Allergy. A food allergy causes specific reactions such as a sudden outbreak of hives or a more severe, life-threatening reaction associated with wheezing and low blood pressure (anaphylaxis). In sensitive people, foods such as peanuts and seafood can cause these symptoms. Most claims for an allergy to chocolate are based on hearsay. True allergy to chocolate does occur, but it is rare.
• Headaches. Many people who suffer from migraine headaches believe specific foods, particularly chocolate, provoke their attacks. Yet studies fail to prove a link between headache and chocolate. A recent investigation done by Dawn Marcus, M. D. at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center once again failed to establish a chocolate-headache connection.
Some reports suggest that the amino acid tyramine causes headaches. Chocolates contain tyramine but not enough to have any effect. Other investigators blame phenylethylamine. But even though chocolate also contains this chemical, so do many other foods, such as meat and fish. Many factors are linked to migraine headaches, such as stress, alcohol, fasting and hormonal changes during menstruation. It’s difficult to separate these factors from any influence chocolate might have.
• Addiction. You may be one of thousands who consider themselves a "chocoholic." But what does that actually mean? Typically, people report cravings for chocolate. They say it "lifts their spirits." Cravings for chocolate and intense satisfaction from eating it may be a learned behavior from childhood – "If you eat your vegetables, you can have a chocolate for dessert." Does that sound familiar?
"Chocolate attacks" may also occur simply because chocolate tastes so good. Compared with many other flavors, chocolate is more complex. Some of its components contribute only taste. Others add aroma. But what may be its most important element is "mouth feel." Because it contains cocoa butter, chocolate has a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth quality that may make it so difficult to resist. But whatever the reasons for chocolate’s appeal, it’s not because chocolate has any truly addictive ingredients.
• Acne. Eating chocolates does not cause or aggravate acne. It’s simply coincidental that teens battle the effects of puberty while also eating more than their share of chocolate candy.
• Love. Since the days of the Aztec Indians, people have considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. Montezuma is said to down a flagon or two of a chocolate drink before visiting his harem.
And what would Valentine’s Day be without the symbolic heart-shaped box of chocolate candies?
Despite this, researchers can’t identify anything in chocolate capable of arousing romantic intentions. Although the phenylethylamine contained in chocolate does play a part in emotional arousal, studies fail to prove eating chocolates affects brain levels of this chemical and hence your emotions.
• Energy. Chocolate contains caffeine, but only in tiny amounts. You’d have to eat about half a pound of dark chocolates and a pound or more of milk chocolates to get the stimulant effect of one or two cups of coffee.
On the other hand, you may have heard of recent news touting chocolate as a heart-healthy food. But before you indulge your sweet tooth too much, you need to put the reports in context.
Two recent studies have found that some chocolate products contain high levels of flavonoids. These are plant-based compounds also present in black tea and some fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids help limit the negative effects of lipoproteins (LDLs), components of the harmful cholesterol. This may help protect arteries and prevent heart disease, stroke and atherosclerosis.
According to one of the study’s findings, the flavonoids present in chocolate – polyphenols – also inhibit the activity of platelets in the blood. Platelets are helpful in clotting, but they can also be associated with heart attacks and strokes.
The studies, while promising, do leave some unanswered questions. Neither addresses how much chocolate you need to eat to achieve heart-healthy benefits from its flavonoids. Because chocolate is high in calories and sugar and low in fiber, it’s still considered unhealthy to eat chocolate in the same quantities that you might eat other flavonoids – rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
But not all chocolates are created equal when it comes to flavonoids. Among chocolate products, the darker it is, the higher it’s likely to be in flavonoids. The chocolate manufacturing process accounts for the varying levels of this substance. Chocolate products are derived fron cocoa beans. To be made into their final product, though, varying amounts of cocoa powder, cocoa butter, milk (typically whole milk), sugar and other ingredients are added. This often adds fat and reduces the flavonoid content. Here’s what each type of chocolate contains:
• Unsweetened chocolate: This is a mixture of cocoa powder and refined cocoa butter. It’s too bitter to eat and is used mainly in baking.
• Dark chocolate: This contains cocoa, cocoa butter and varying amounts of sugar.
• Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate contains cocoa, cocoa butter, varying amounts of sugar and milk. Occasionally, flavorings such as vanilla are added.
• White chocolate: There’s no cocoa in this type of chocolate. It consists of cocoa butter or other fats, sugar, milk, and flavorings.
So, is there evidence to support the claim that "chocolate can contribute to a healthy diet"? Well, sort of. Population studies have linked a high dietary intake of flavonoids (primarily from fruits and vegetables) with a reduced risk of heart disease and possibly some cancers. And a 1998 Harvard University study of over 7,000 male alumni found that participants who ate sweets lived, on average, almost a year longer than those who did not. Though the study did not distinguish between chocolate and sugar candies, the researchers theorized that the disease-fighting capabilities of cocoa flavonoids were the most likely explanation for their findings.
But despite its bounty of antioxidants, chocolate is no health food. A "dose" of semisweet baking M&Ms contain 399 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 46 grams of sugar. Some of the saturated fat in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not raise cholesterol levels, but a recent large study found that it was associated with a higher incidence of coronary disease, perhaps because it increases the blood’s tendency to clot.
So it makes little sense to consume chocolate for its health benefits. Certainly, there’s also no nutritional reason to eat chocolate. But then again, there’s no reason not to enjoy chocolate’s pleasures of the palate, a little now and then – especially on Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate’s wide appeal stems from its seemingly unlimited ability to satisfy. To many people, no food tastes better or works well to console, reward, or to say "I love you." If you’re considering chocolates for someone you love this Valentine’s Day, this perspective on chocolate and your health should be easy to swallow.
Despite popular beliefs to the contrary, science has not proved that the following conditions have a chocolate connection:
• Allergy. A food allergy causes specific reactions such as a sudden outbreak of hives or a more severe, life-threatening reaction associated with wheezing and low blood pressure (anaphylaxis). In sensitive people, foods such as peanuts and seafood can cause these symptoms. Most claims for an allergy to chocolate are based on hearsay. True allergy to chocolate does occur, but it is rare.
• Headaches. Many people who suffer from migraine headaches believe specific foods, particularly chocolate, provoke their attacks. Yet studies fail to prove a link between headache and chocolate. A recent investigation done by Dawn Marcus, M. D. at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center once again failed to establish a chocolate-headache connection.
Some reports suggest that the amino acid tyramine causes headaches. Chocolates contain tyramine but not enough to have any effect. Other investigators blame phenylethylamine. But even though chocolate also contains this chemical, so do many other foods, such as meat and fish. Many factors are linked to migraine headaches, such as stress, alcohol, fasting and hormonal changes during menstruation. It’s difficult to separate these factors from any influence chocolate might have.
• Addiction. You may be one of thousands who consider themselves a "chocoholic." But what does that actually mean? Typically, people report cravings for chocolate. They say it "lifts their spirits." Cravings for chocolate and intense satisfaction from eating it may be a learned behavior from childhood – "If you eat your vegetables, you can have a chocolate for dessert." Does that sound familiar?
"Chocolate attacks" may also occur simply because chocolate tastes so good. Compared with many other flavors, chocolate is more complex. Some of its components contribute only taste. Others add aroma. But what may be its most important element is "mouth feel." Because it contains cocoa butter, chocolate has a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth quality that may make it so difficult to resist. But whatever the reasons for chocolate’s appeal, it’s not because chocolate has any truly addictive ingredients.
• Acne. Eating chocolates does not cause or aggravate acne. It’s simply coincidental that teens battle the effects of puberty while also eating more than their share of chocolate candy.
• Love. Since the days of the Aztec Indians, people have considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. Montezuma is said to down a flagon or two of a chocolate drink before visiting his harem.
And what would Valentine’s Day be without the symbolic heart-shaped box of chocolate candies?
Despite this, researchers can’t identify anything in chocolate capable of arousing romantic intentions. Although the phenylethylamine contained in chocolate does play a part in emotional arousal, studies fail to prove eating chocolates affects brain levels of this chemical and hence your emotions.
• Energy. Chocolate contains caffeine, but only in tiny amounts. You’d have to eat about half a pound of dark chocolates and a pound or more of milk chocolates to get the stimulant effect of one or two cups of coffee.
Two recent studies have found that some chocolate products contain high levels of flavonoids. These are plant-based compounds also present in black tea and some fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids help limit the negative effects of lipoproteins (LDLs), components of the harmful cholesterol. This may help protect arteries and prevent heart disease, stroke and atherosclerosis.
According to one of the study’s findings, the flavonoids present in chocolate – polyphenols – also inhibit the activity of platelets in the blood. Platelets are helpful in clotting, but they can also be associated with heart attacks and strokes.
The studies, while promising, do leave some unanswered questions. Neither addresses how much chocolate you need to eat to achieve heart-healthy benefits from its flavonoids. Because chocolate is high in calories and sugar and low in fiber, it’s still considered unhealthy to eat chocolate in the same quantities that you might eat other flavonoids – rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
But not all chocolates are created equal when it comes to flavonoids. Among chocolate products, the darker it is, the higher it’s likely to be in flavonoids. The chocolate manufacturing process accounts for the varying levels of this substance. Chocolate products are derived fron cocoa beans. To be made into their final product, though, varying amounts of cocoa powder, cocoa butter, milk (typically whole milk), sugar and other ingredients are added. This often adds fat and reduces the flavonoid content. Here’s what each type of chocolate contains:
• Unsweetened chocolate: This is a mixture of cocoa powder and refined cocoa butter. It’s too bitter to eat and is used mainly in baking.
• Dark chocolate: This contains cocoa, cocoa butter and varying amounts of sugar.
• Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate contains cocoa, cocoa butter, varying amounts of sugar and milk. Occasionally, flavorings such as vanilla are added.
• White chocolate: There’s no cocoa in this type of chocolate. It consists of cocoa butter or other fats, sugar, milk, and flavorings.
So, is there evidence to support the claim that "chocolate can contribute to a healthy diet"? Well, sort of. Population studies have linked a high dietary intake of flavonoids (primarily from fruits and vegetables) with a reduced risk of heart disease and possibly some cancers. And a 1998 Harvard University study of over 7,000 male alumni found that participants who ate sweets lived, on average, almost a year longer than those who did not. Though the study did not distinguish between chocolate and sugar candies, the researchers theorized that the disease-fighting capabilities of cocoa flavonoids were the most likely explanation for their findings.
But despite its bounty of antioxidants, chocolate is no health food. A "dose" of semisweet baking M&Ms contain 399 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 46 grams of sugar. Some of the saturated fat in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not raise cholesterol levels, but a recent large study found that it was associated with a higher incidence of coronary disease, perhaps because it increases the blood’s tendency to clot.
So it makes little sense to consume chocolate for its health benefits. Certainly, there’s also no nutritional reason to eat chocolate. But then again, there’s no reason not to enjoy chocolate’s pleasures of the palate, a little now and then – especially on Valentine’s Day!
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