Chocolate

ABOUT CHOCOLATE...

We take a lot for granted when we eat chocolate. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans from the

Theobromatree Theobroma cacao. There are several types of chocolate, two of which are discussed below.

Milk chocolate (which is the typical candy bar chocolate that people eat). Mild chocolate is made from milk and 10 to 25% chocolate "liquor" from the cocoa bean. So, it does not contain that much chocolate, but it tastes good!

Dark chocolate contains anywhere from 19% to 99% cocoa. In the United States, dark chocolate is required to have at least 35% cocoa. Typically, the more bitter it is, the more cocoa there is (adding sugar helps moderate the bitterness). And the more cocoa it has, the more medicinal qualities it is likely to have (see below).

HISTORY: Medicinal value dates back to at least 300 BC (Mesoamerica)

PROPERTIES: Antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiviral, flavanols

CONSIDERED USES

Respiratory: Helps breathing: Bronchodilator. It may help with asthma. Decreases cough

Eyes: May help increase visual acuity

Cardiovascular: Dark chocolate seems to decrease cardiovascular disease. It is a vasodilator, so it may lower blood pressure slightly (plain, unsweetened chocolate). It helps with peripheral artery disease. According to ConsumerLabs' evaluation, a possible decreased risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure may help heart muscle function. It may decrease blood clot formation. It reduces the risk of a heart attack.

Gastrointestinal: Reduces appetite. It may support intestinal health—prebiotic effect, which increases good bacteria in the GI tract and decreases bad bacteria.

Genitourinary: N/A

Musculoskeletal: Mild muscle relaxer, osteoporosis

Skin: Decreased wrinkles

Cholesterol: Dark chocolate may help lower cholesterol; mild decreases in LDL (bad cholesterol) and mild increases in HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol), and decreases in triglycerides

Glucose: Lowers insulin resistance. It decreases glucose levels in unmedicated people and reduces the risk of developing diabetes

Immunity: Increases immunity

Cancer: Helps protect against cancer

Neuro: It may help prevent cognitive decline, improve memory, and improve cognition. It increases blood flow to the brain. Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psych: stimulates endorphins - increasing feelings of pleasure. Decreases depression (contains serotonin); it is a stimulant,

Infectious Disease: N/A

Other: Increased exercise tolerance, diuretic, it was considered an aphrodisiac in its earliest days of "medicinal use."

Side Effects: Normally, side effects are due to excessive caffeine: Insomnia, increased urination, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), dermatitis, headaches, constipation, increased bleeding, diarrhea, GERD (reflux), rash when used topically, stomach disturbance, nausea, and gas.

Cautions/Contraindications: Caution in anxiety, heart conditions, and those with glaucoma may worsen IBS, osteoporosis, and migraines. Caution with some medications: Adenosine/Adenocard, Clozaril, methylphenidate, Ambien (decreases effects), alcohol potentiates the effects of chocolate, Dipyridamole/Persantine, ergotamine, estrogen, lithium, MAO inhibitors, antidiabetic medication, meds that can increase heart rate (i.e., some asthma medications, theophylline, phenylpropanolamine), some antibiotics (i.e floxacins/cipro, levaquin, and others), birth control pills, Tagamet, Antabuse, verapamil and others.

FORMS: Capsules, extracts, powders, solids/bars, creams, oils

DOSAGES: Dosage is variable depending on the product and condition

RECOMMENDED BRANDS (From ConsumerLabs third-party testing)

Best chocolates (especially in regard to heavy metals) - Most available in stores

Baking:

• Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate - 56% Cacao (baking)-Flavanols 74% - 5.3 mg/g

• Baker's Unsweetened - 100% Cacao 108.9 mg flavanols – 8.5 mg/g

• Ghirardelli® Premium Baking Cocoa - 100% Cocoa

Bars:

• Choc Zero Sugar Free 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (19.9 mg) – 2 mg/g

• Chocolove Strong Dark Chocolate - 70% Cocoa Content – 145.8 mg – 4.9 mg/g

• Endangered Species™ Chocolate Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate - 88% Cocoa -5.6 mg/g

• Ghirardelli® Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate 318.5 mg – 12.7 mg/g

• Hu Salty Dark Chocolate - 70% Cocoa – 176 mg – 5.9 mg/g

• Montezuma's® Dark Chocolate Absolute Black - 100% Cocoa – 350.5mg - 14 mg/g

• Trader Joe's® Pound Plus - 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate – 196.8 mg – 5.2 mg/g

Chips-

• Ghirardelli® Chocolate Premium Baking Chips - 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

Powders:

• 365 [Whole Foods Market] Organic Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened

• Good & Gather [Target] Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 100% Cocoa

• Hershey's Cocoa Special Dark - 100% Cacao – FOR Adults – Cadmium level too high for kids

• Nestle® Toll House® 100% Pure Cocoa

• NOW® Organic Cocoa Powder - 100% Cocoa

• Ghirardelli® Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix – Adults only – too much lead for kids

• Nestle® Hot Cocoa Mix – for adults – too much lead for kids

• CocoaVia™ Brain Health Memory+

Notes: Most of these benefits of chocolate are obtained through dark chocolate. Health benefits are generally obtained from chocolates containing at least 70%, so reading your labels is important. The following are the chocolate concentrations of various chocolates:

85-100% cocoa beans - unsweetened - the healthiest form but hard to eat because of its bitter taste.

65-80% - bittersweet - More palatable and containing acceptable amounts of cocoa for health benefits.

35-60% - semisweet - Less healthy and more sugar than the others above.

10-20% - milk chocolate - our "everyday" chocolate. Little nutritional value.

White chocolate - not chocolate. No nutritional value.

Cocoa and Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and arsenic). Heavy metals sometimes taint cocoa. Many extracts - in capsule form - tend to be less contaminated with heavy metals.

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Additional Disclaimer: The material above is for informational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat a condition. The uses listed above are tentative; some have or are undergoing research trials, but many are not FDA-approved. It is essential that you investigate these supplements further before deciding to use them. Check interactions and contraindications on sites like Drugs.com or WebMD. Do not attempt to treat a serious condition like liver, kidney problems, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or thyroid issues without discussing it with a healthcare provider first. If you are pregnant, do not use supplements without discussing it with your healthcare provider.