Return to story

Luscious chocolate can nourish the heart

February 19, 2006 12:51 am

LONG ASSOCIATED with sensuality and Valentine's Day, lately chocolate is being marketed year-round as a heart-healthy food. Though I am fascinated by recent science showing health benefits of chocolate, I can't claim that I eat it for intellectual reasons.

For me, it's pure pleasure: softly snapping a chocolate bar between my teeth; sipping hot chocolate's sweet warmth; drizzling steaming, homemade hot fudge sauce over cold vanilla ice cream. It goes without saying that the chocolate fountains now popular at weddings and other catered events make me ecstatic.

Chocolate is easy on our taste buds, and it may be easy on the heart as well. Research shows dark chocolate may slightly lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the heart. It has minimal amounts of caffeine, and it contains a type of saturated fat that does not raise blood cholesterol.

It also contains antioxidants, which may help the heart. The antioxidants are called flavanols, and they are similar to substances found in tea, wine and many fruits and vegetables.

A small Italian study showed that eating 3.5 ounces daily of special high-flavanol dark chocolate reduced blood pressure by 9 to 12 points and bad LDL cholesterol by 10 percent. But 3.5 ounces is about 500 calories worth of chocolate, which could cause weight gain.

Another study, done at Yale University, showed that eating Hershey's new Extra Dark Chocolate improved blood pressure and circulation. Hershey provided the chocolate and money for the study, but independent studies in the past have suggested that dark chocolate would have these effects.

A joint study from scientists in California, Boston, Germany and New Jersey's Mars Co. indicated Mars Inc.'s flavanol-rich cocoa also can improve blood flow. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In another study, researchers at Harvard University and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee reported in January that people who eat 1 to 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily theoretically could cut their risk of death from heart disease by 11 percent. They called for more research to see if this is actually so.

Despite the potential health benefits of chocolate, more is not better. Too much can contribute not only to weight gain but also to cavities. And eating chocolate is no substitute for exercising and eating lots of fruits and veggies.

But in moderation it is a delicious addition to your diet.

To get the most bang for your buck, health-wise, choose cocoa. Pure cocoa powder, not packaged chocolate-flavored drinks, is the most concentrated source of heart-healthy flavanols and lowest in fat. It's followed by bitter chocolate, semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate. White chocolate does not have significant amounts of flavanols.

You can use unsweetened cocoa powder in baked goods like brownies, add it to hot cereals or stir some into a pot of Cincinnati-style chili or savory Mexican mole sauce for meats and poultry. You also can make homemade hot cocoa from cocoa powder, milk, sugar and vanilla extract.

If you prefer eating chocolate alone, look for higher-end bars. Gourmet chocolatiers often label the percentage of cocoa in their candies. A higher percentage will have more flavanols. It's hard to find bars with more than 70 percent cocoa. Milk chocolate typically has 20 percent cocoa.

Mars Inc. and Hershey Co. are independently researching ways to increase flavanols in some, not all, of their products.

About two years ago, Mars Inc. launched the CocoaVia line of snack bars with patented high-flavanol dark chocolate and cholesterol-lowering sterols. To me, the bars taste pleasant, but more like granola bars drizzled with dark chocolate than candy.

Mars also began adding the flavanol-rich chocolate to Dove Dark chocolate.

Recently, they expanded the CocoaVia line with chocolate-covered almonds and chocolate bars in three flavors: Original Chocolate, Crispy Chocolate and Blueberry & Almond Chocolate.

CocoaVia products also come in smaller portions than regular candy bars, typically 100 to 140 calories, making it harder to overindulge.

While Dove chocolates are available in most major markets, the pricier CocoaVia line is harder to find. I have seen it in some Target, Walgreens and health food stores. It can also be ordered for home delivery directly from the CocoaVia Web site. It costs about $5 for a package of five bars, and the company suggests you eat two daily. (Incidentally, you can buy many other foods fortified with cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, such as buttery spreads, yogurts, juices and others not made by Mars.)

Not to be outdone, Hershey has created a round seal that marks packages of its new Extra Dark Chocolate line and reads "natural source of flavanol antioxidants." The line, advertised as "60 percent cacao," includes three flavors: Pure Dark Chocolate; Pure Dark Chocolate with Cranberries, Blueberries and Almonds; and Pure Dark Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts and Cranberries.

The company also puts its antioxidant seal on familiar products including Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate in the form of bars, kisses and nuggets.

I held a very unscientific tasting of dark chocolates with family members.

The CocoaVia chocolate bars and chocolate-covered almonds rated fairly well, with a bold, slightly bitter taste; the Hershey's Special Dark was the sweetest; and the Hershey's Extra Dark with Macadamia nuts and Cranberries was universally liked.

We also compared dark chocolates that don't have any patented high-flavanol cocoa but still likely have more flavanols than milk chocolate.

Three of four people voted the best-tasting dark chocolate to be the one highest in cocoa: Endangered Species Chocolate Co.'s Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds. Despite being 70 percent cocoa, they described the chocolate as "smooth," "sweet" and "complex."

One rater, though, who preferred bolder tastes such as black coffee, felt this chocolate was bland, describing it as like "a crayon." The bar is available at upscale markets such as Ukrop's, and the company donates 10 percent of profits to protect endangered species.

We also tasted Ecco Bella's Health by Chocolate line, fortified with herbs, berries and other ingredients. Their Women's Wonder Bar, marketed to "take revenge on PMS, menopause and everyday cravings," provoked unanimous "yuck!" It had rose oil as an ingredient, provoking one taster to say, "It tastes like perfume."

We liked Ecco Bella's Instant Bliss Beauty Bar's fruity taste. It's fortified with blueberries and "antioxidants for beautiful skin" and has 55 percent cocoa. Though I doubt it would cause beautiful skin, it was delicious.

There are many other fortified chocolates out there. Strong Chick Chocolate is a calcium-fortified milk chocolate bar available by mail order, and 1 ounce provides about half a woman's need for calcium for the day.

Overseas, a Belgian company has launched ChocoMed chocolates fortified with herbs, and a Swiss company, Barry Callebaut, which owns Brach's and other brands, has a high-flavanol product called Acticoa.

Whatever type of chocolate you like best, savor it now and then in moderation. It's definitely delicious and may even be good for you.

JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.