The antioxidant-rich chocolate will help to lower cholesterol, prevent memory loss and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.[1] However, chocolate in large quantities will harmfully affect our health. The discussion about benefits and risks of eating chocolates calls for a balanced view to enjoy the favorite cacao delicacy. The following recommendations could be considered for leading a sweet and healthy life:

Recommendations for a Sweet, Healthy Life

• Enjoy chocolate in moderation and improve health by including small amounts of cacao-rich chocolate in our diet.
• Replace our favorite milk chocolate with the cacao-rich dark chocolate (>50%), which has more antioxidants and is highly nutritious. The higher the percentage of cacao, the smaller the amount of sugar and other added ingredients.
• Read the labels on chocolates before buying and check whether there are any hidden ingredients. High quality chocolates contain only simple ingredients such as cocoa, cacao butter, vanilla and a little sugar. The presence of hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils instead of cacao butter, a higher amount of sugar and artificial flavorings will lead to negative impact on our health.[2]
• Avoid Dutch processed chocolate, which substantially reduces the beneficial antioxidants during the process of alkalization.[3] Unfortunately, most chocolates do undergo Dutch processing to achieve appealing color and flavor. Only chocolates that contain natural cacao are good for us.
• Use the natural cacao powder that contains 88-96% cacao for our chocolate cooking and baking.
• Monitor the intake of chocolate depending on the level of our caffeine sensitivity.
• Check for labels of cadmium and lead tests on chocolates, if available – both metals are hazardous for our health.[4] Most of the companies publish these test results only on their websites.

References

[1] A. N. Sokolov et al., Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37, 2013, 2445-2453.

[2] S. T. Beckett, The Science of Chocolate, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2008.

[3] G. Tannenbaum, Journal of Chemical Education, 81, 2004, 1131.

[4] M. R. Werbach, Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 7, 1992, 45-51.