Milking Chocolate for Healthy Benefits
I’m making a confession. I am one of the stealth chocoholics. That is bad news and good news-the bad news is that like you, it can be tough for me to turn down a sample of the creamy confection. On the good side, chocolate has health benefits.
Now I am not saying you can have all the chocolate you want. I want to share with you how chocolate can help with your goals to include foods that are good for you as ingredients in your diet. Chocolate begins with the cacao beans. It’s the cacao beans that are the key in creating the good-for-you factor. These beans are rich in plant nutrients called flavonoids, which protect the cocoa plant. The primary type of flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate are flavanols which have antioxidant properties. Research has shown that these flavonals have positive affects on health. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E help protect healthy cells from substances called free radicals which can attack health cells. These nutrients are also found in red wine and green tea.
There are several types of chocolate which contain varying amounts of cacao beans and flavanols. Bittersweet or dark chocolate contains the most generous amounts from higher cacao content chocolate. The higher the percentage of cacao in the chocolate, the greater the benefits and nutritional value. For example, an average 65% dark chocolate serving would look something like this (these are estimates, as actual numbers will vary, depending on brand, size, etc.):