Nature’s Hidden Treasure
Chocolate’s Secrets Finally Revealed
Chocoholics rejoice! No more hiding the sweet stuff under your mattress for a late night binge. Forget the covert trips to the closest mini-mart to stock up on Hershey Bars or M & Ms. The verdict is in… chocolate is good for you (in small quantities).
But wait. Before you devour that pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie, there is a catch. Not all chocolate makes the grade. Dark, preferably raw chocolate is what is making headlines. Countless studies now show that dark chocolate (containing at least 70 percent cacao) can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular function and digestion, and even help prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke. As an added bonus, researchers say eating chocolate can improve your mood and can even make you look and feel younger.
Chocolate has been around for centuries. Records show the Mayans drank chocolate water as early as 400 A.D. It is further known the Aztecs first named this rich delicacy cacao, the source of the English word cocoa. Cacao beans were so revered in fact that many ancient Central American cultures used them as currency. While there are vast differences between the chocolate of ancient times and the commercial variety millions of Americans enjoy today, all chocolate comes from the same source – cacao beans.
Cacao beans (seeds) are harvested from the fruit or pods of the cacao tree found in the jungles of tropical countries mostly within 10–20 degrees latitude of the equator. It takes up to six months for cacao pods to develop, so the trees are normally harvested twice a year. Workers cut the pods from the tree using machetes then separate the beans from the pod. Each pod contains approximately 20 to 60 beans embedded in a white pulp. These beans are then laid out and covered with banana leaves where they are allowed to ferment for 2-3 days. Cacao beans are a whitish color, but as they ferment they turn a purple to dark brown color and begin to wrinkle. It is this fermenting process that gives the beans a less bitter, richer chocolate flavor. The resulting product is pure raw chocolate.
The Latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao, which literally means “food of the gods”. This veritable ambrosia contains over 300 beneficial chemical compounds making it one of the most complex and nutrient-rich foods known to man. The flavor of raw chocolate is much the same as the bitter, dark chocolate you can buy in stores. The difference between the raw product and commercially processed chocolate however, is that raw chocolate still contains the original fatty acids found in the cacao fat or butter of the unprocessed bean. Each raw bean contains approximately 40-50 percent cacao butter. Cooking, roasting or processing cacao not only destroys the nutritional content of the beans but it drastically alters the true flavor of the chocolate. Unfortunately, the chocolate we buy today is not only highly processed but it is full of milk and other dairy products, which studies now show impede the absorption of any antioxidants still left in the cacao after processing. And with the continuing “fat-free” hype and booming profits associated with “fat-free” foods, manufacturers also remove the majority of the nutrient-rich fat. The remaining product is further loaded with refined sugars and potassium carbonate (also used in the production of soap and glass) and other preservatives.
Statistics show the average American consumes nearly 11 pounds of refined chocolate each year. While those that eat darker chocolate may receive more of the benefits associated with raw cacao, if you eat milk chocolate, chances are you are getting little more than a sugary treat filled with unwanted calories.
Beneficial Nutrients
The benefits of raw chocolate are numerous. With over 300 valuable nutrients and chemicals, studies are only beginning to discover the true importance of this amazing food. The following are some of the benefits associated with eating raw chocolate.
Antioxidants
When our cells metabolize oxygen for cell growth and repair, they produce a byproduct known as a free radical, which over time can cause severe damage to our bodies.
Antioxidants are substances in our food that prevent or slow this natural oxidative damage. Although antioxidants are necessary for many reasons, research suggests that antioxidants are essential for the prevention of cancer and heart disease in particular.
Studies show that antioxidant flavanols constitute 10 percent of the raw cacao bean. That translates to 10,000 milligrams per 100 grams. This is astounding when you consider processed cocoa powder and refined chocolates average 500 milligrams per 100 grams flavonol content. Studies also show the antioxidants in raw chocolate are easily absorbed by humans making it a highly bioavailable food source. A joint study conducted by Cornell University and Seoul National University in South Korea found that cacao contains up to 50 percent more antioxidants than red wine and almost three times as many as green tea.1 According to Nature, eating dark chocolate can boost blood antioxidant levels by as much as 20 percent.
One study conducted at the University of Cologne in Germany using people with mild high blood pressure showed that eating dark chocolate regularly triggers chemical changes that help to dilate blood vessels and regulate blood pressure. These results are attributed to the flavanols contained in the cacao and were achieved using very small portions – equivalent to 1 and 1/2 Hershey kisses per day. Therefore, they should not be viewed as a license to gorge on chocolate.
Scientists developed a test called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score, which measures the antioxidant levels of food and other chemical substances. The higher the ORAC score, the higher the antioxidant level of the food. Dark chocolate, for example has an ORAC score of 13,120 per 100 grams compared to prunes that have a score of 5,770. Milk chocolate, while not nearly as healthy as raw or even dark chocolate, still has a score of 6,740 but as stated earlier, the addition of dairy products cancels out any beneficial antioxidant effects. In fact, studies show that dairy products actually block the absorption of antioxidants in chocolate.2
Anthocyaninins
Anthocyanin is responsible for the purple color of the fermenting cacao beans. This chemical is known to promote connective tissue regeneration and reduce inflammation. It is also known that anthocyaninins enhance circulation and help to reduce cholesterol levels. As an antioxidant, anthocyaninins also work to protect the capillaries from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. This chemical is known to stabilize connective tissue and support collagen growth and repair. Research shows that cacao is an excellent source of anthocyanin.
Phenylethylamine (PEA)
PEA is a chemical found in cacao that is known to raise neurotransmitter activity within the brain, specifically increasing our alertness and ability to concentrate. If you have every experienced a time when you were so engrossed in a good book or movie that you barley noticed anything else, your PEA levels were most likely elevated. Studies show that people who are predominantly happy (or in love) tend to have higher levels of PEA. If they become saddened or depressed, PEA levels drop. Since cacao contains up to 2.2 percent PEA, studies show that eating chocolate can trigger this response.
Anandamide
Another neurotransmitter, anandamide, also called the Bliss Chemical, is found in significant amounts in cacao. This recently discovered brain chemical is known to trigger the same cell membrane receptors targeted by the active ingredient in marijuana and hashish. Studies show that anandamide plays a key role in pain, depression, appetite, memory, and fertility.
Arginine
Arginine (L-Arginine) is a semi-essential amino acid responsible for countless biochemical reactions. It is used by the body to produce creatine (necessary for building muscle) and is a precursor in the metabolism of proteins and nitric oxide (NO). NO is the most powerful chemical known to dilate and encourage blood vessels, making arginine nature’s answer to viagra. Raw cacao is found to contain significant amounts of arginine, which is likely the reason chocolate is often called an aphrodisiac.
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential to good health. It is naturally the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, almost 50 percent of total body magnesium being found in our bones the other half in our tissues and cells with 1 percent making up our blood. Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body including maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, regulating our heart rate, keeping our immune system healthy and our bones strong. Magnesium further regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and is key in protein synthesis and energy metabolism.
Dr. Bernard Jensen, America’s pioneer of Iridology and holistic nutrition, found that more than anything else, the heart requires magnesium and potassium for optimal health. In normal cases, magnesium is found to be 18 times greater in the heart than in the bloodstream. In his research however, he found that magnesium levels were much lower in almost all cases of heart disease. This is significant when you consider 80 percent of all Americans according to recent statistics, are said to be chronically deficient in magnesium.
Research indicates that cacao provides the highest source of magnesium of any food, which could account for why many women instinctively crave chocolate during menstruation, a time when magnesium levels are naturally lower.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO Inhibitors)
MAO inhibitors work in the nervous system by blocking the action of a chemical substance known as monoamine oxidase (MAO), which breaks down and destroys beneficial neurotransmitters such as anandamide, serotonin and dopamine. Studies show that raw cacao is a significant source of MAOs. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, one of the world's foremost authorities on living food, states that MAO inhibitors work to rejuvenate the body and keep us feeling young. He adds that MAO inhibitors actually make one younger by allowing more neurotransmitters to remain in the bloodstream. Studies show children have much higher levels of neurotransmitters in their blood and bodies than adults and that as we age, the level of neurotransmitters naturally decreases.
Researchers have also found that cacao appears to reduce appetite, mostly likely as result of these same MAO inhibitors. For this reason it is often added to weight-loss supplements.
Theobromine
Theobromine makes up between 1-2 percent of the cacao bean. It is an alkaloid similar in structure to caffeine but it is about 10 times weaker and does not affect the nervous system. Like caffeine however, theobromine is a mild diuretic. It is frequently used as a drug in cases where a heart attack has resulted in an accumulation of body fluid. It can also lower blood pressure because it can dilate blood vessels. Theobromine has been found to relax bronchi muscles in the lungs and is often used as a cough medicine. Studies further show that theobromine acts on the vagus nerve, which runs from the lungs to the brain. Theobromine is a known cardiac stimulant, which is why it is used to treat high blood pressure. While theobromine is safe for humans, dogs should never eat cacao or chocolate because it can cause cardiac arrest. Dogs and horses in particular lack the enzymes necessary to metabolize theobromine.
Caffeine
Although cacao does contain caffeine, generally chocolate is a poor source of the chemical. In fact, it is estimated that a 50 gram piece of dark chocolate (the size of an average chocolate bar) contains about 10 – 60 milligrams of caffeine, compared to a 5-ounce cup of coffee which contains on average up to 175 milligrams. Studies further show that the stimulating effects of caffeine are only seen when cacao is cooked as is done in the processing of the beans and that raw cacao has no such effects. Participants who drank a concoction of roasted ground cacao beans in boiling water showed increased nervous system activity similar to that experience after drinking a cup of black coffee. When the same concoction was made using raw cacao beans however, no such effects were experienced.
Copper
Cacao beans contain about .8 milligrams of copper per 100 grams. Copper is known to enhance the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen. Copper is also helpful in cases of inflammation. Studies show the average woman is deficient in copper and that cacao provides an excellent source of this mineral.
Other chemicals in cacao include histamine, trypotophan (amino acid with anti-depressant properties) ascorbic-acid (Vitamin C), beta-carotene, calcium, leucine (excellent for muscle recovery), iron, tocopherol (Vitamin E), lysine, niacin, phosphorus and B Vitamins to name just a few of the 300 amazing nutrients.
Raw chocolate is available as beans or nibs (peeled beans), chocolate bars, powder and in a liquid concentration that can be added to other food and drinks for a distinct chocolate flavor. You can also buy raw cacao butter.
1 J. Agric. Food Chem., 51 (25), 7292 -7295, 2003.
2 Nature 424(2003):1013