This article was written by nutrition adviser Dieter Hogen, with the support of the Take The Magic Step™ nutrition staff.

With the holidays upon us, many of us will certainly be asking ourselves this question. It will come up again soon as Valentine’s Day nears. Why do we like chocolate so much? Why is it so desirable?

Much about chocolate, or rather cacao, remains a mystery. Relatively bitter by nature, cacao has been revered throughout history. Discovered over 3,000 years¹ ago, the cacao tree is native to South America’s rain forest. Its fruits, the so-called pods, contain the beans from which chocolate (and cocoa) is made.

Cacao was already highly regarded more than 1500 years ago by the Maya people, and later by the Aztecs. Drawings and carvings of cacao trees and pods on the walls of their temples have been discovered by archaeologists and date back to the 4th century. Praising it as food for the gods, the Maya fermented, roasted and ground the beans and made a rather bitter, spicy drink from it by mixing the produced cacao paste with water and spices like chili peppers.

All that probably inspired Carolus Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné, to give the cacao tree its biological name Theobroma cacao. The two Greek words Theo and broma translate to “food for the gods.”²

Why did the ancient civilizations find cacao so interesting given its inherently bitter taste? Maybe it was because of the way it made them feel. Modern science has attempted to explain whether any of the active ingredients found in cacao can elevate mood. The findings are, at best, inconclusive. Although there are several chemicals in cacao that can elevate mood, none of them exist in quantities that should have a significant impact.

The empirical evidence is that ancient civilizations, such as the Aztecs, went to great lengths to mask the actual taste of cacao, such as by mixing it with chilies (which is hard to imagine tasting good). Why would they do this unless eating it made them feel good? Even in modern times, we recognize that chocolate makes us feel good, which is why scientists continue to look for the reason from psychological and physiological angles^3,4.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that sugar was added to cacao. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the price of cacao became relatively affordable to the masses, and chocolate appeared in basically its current form. This has led to the meteoric rise in chocolate consumption, with some countries have per-capita consumption of as high as 22 pounds a year.

Chocolaty Nutrition Facts

Cacao contains polyphenols⁵, the type of antioxidants found in grape juice, red wine and green tea. The polyphenolic flavonoids found in chocolate can reduce the stickiness of platelets, thereby thinning the blood and helping to prevent blood clots. The flavonoids, then, can be considered heart-protecting agents, and may even lower blood pressure.

The fat in cacao butter is stearic acid and, to some degree, oleic acid⁵. They do not elevate bad cholesterol (LDL) and may even prevent it from getting oxidized. Oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil, may even raise good cholesterol (HDL).

Cocoa (a product of cacao) also contains stimulants like caffeine, theobromine and phenethylamine. In many ways, these are activating agents. Don’t give your children chocolate if you expect them to sleep. Milk chocolate is much higher in sugar, but contains significantly fewer stimulants. Also, chocolate does not affect the teeth as much as candy.

Here’s the result of an interesting experiment: Scientists made rats addicted to alcohol. When given the choice between alcohol and chocolate, the rats replaced some of the alcohol with chocolate. The study obviously demonstrates chocolate’s mood-elevating and stimulating effect.

So, should I or shouldn’t I? While we certainly cannot recommend chocolate as a dietary necessity, we can say that if falls into the category of “a little of something you really like deserves a place and is OK to have on occasion.” Even the healthiest chocolate contains sugar, fat and is high in calories. If you are just going to have a taste around the holidays, then don’t worry about it. Eat your favorite. If chocolate is a regular treat throughout the year, then we have some suggestions.

When you eat chocolate, enjoy small pieces at a time, and let them melt on your tongue. (Chocolate’s melting point is just under body temperature, so it should melt from contact with your tongue alone.) That’s the best way to enjoy chocolate. Go for the kinds that don’t contain much sugar and are highest in antioxidants. Look for the ones that contain at least 70% cocoa. (This information is stated on the label.) The best varieties usually come from Belgium, Switzerland, France and Germany. There are even many good organic chocolates on the market. One of our favorites is dark chocolate with crystallized ginger.

Chocolate Suggestions

Try a cup of hot milk or soymilk with a spoonful of high-quality cocoa in the morning or as a snack during the day. It also makes a healthy cold drink. Just cook a few cups of it and store in the refrigerator.

If you need a boost in the afternoon, you might want to consider a cup of green tea and 1-1½ ounces of dark chocolate instead of drinking coffee again. Instead of eating just chocolate, you could also have a couple strawberries dipped in dark chocolate with your tea. This is a delicious treat that combines the health benefits of green tea, berries and dark chocolate.

Storage Tips

Once in a while, you might see a light white or gray coating on your chocolate. That can have two causes: First, exposure to too-high temperatures. Under those conditions, the cacao butter compounds separate and crystallize on the surface. The good news is, the change does not affect the taste. Second, too much exposure to moisture. Sugar gets drawn to the surface and crystallizes, which does affect the taste and texture. Store your treat away from sunlight in a dry, cool place, a little under room temperature, but definitely not in the refrigerator.

Have a little chocolate once in a while if it makes you feel good and happy. After all, smiles are healthy, too.

References:

¹ Chocolate: Cacao and Chocolate Timeline.
www.chocolate.org/timeline/index.html, retrieved December 2007.

² The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden (UCLA): Cacao, Food of the Gods.
www.botgard.ucla.edu, retrieved December 2007.

³ University of Bristol Press Releases: Nice but naughty – our addiction to chocolate.
www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2007/5597.html, September 2007.

⁴ The Sweet Lure of Chocolate: “Feel Good” Food.
www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/choc_8.html, retrieved December 2007.

⁵ Ding EL, Hutfless SM, Ding X and Girotra S: Chocolate and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review. Nutrition and Metabolism2006;3:2.