Believe it or not, eating chocolate can be good for you! In recent years, scientists have discovered many health benefits, and new chocolates have been introduced into the marketplace that make it easy and delicious to reap these benefits.

The gift of chocolate to a beloved as a token of love is more than just tradition. Chocolate naturally contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a compound that, when eaten, releases endorphins in your brain, producing a mild feeling of euphoria that mimics the sensation of being in love. Natural chocolate also contains seratonin, theobromine and anandamine--compounds that contribute to enjoyable interpersonal relations by elevating mood and enhancing sensory perception.

Health Benefits

Chocolate itself benefits the body in many ways.

* Chocolate contains antioxidant flavonoids that help heart health. One study reported small daily doses of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate consumed over a two-week period boosts blood vessel function, improving circulation. Combining chocolate with milk, however, cancels out the antioxident effect, so milk chocolate or hot cocoa with milk won't provide this benefit.

* Eating chocolate in moderation helps you live longer. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health studied the candy-consuming habits of more than 7,800 men and found "Mortality was lowest among those consuming candy 1-3 times a month and highest among those indulging this habit 3 or more times a week. Non-consumers of candy, however, still had the highest mortality overall. As with most things in life, moderation seems to be paramount."

* Chocolate suppresses cough. Theobromine, a derivative in cocoa, was found to be nearly a third more effective than codeine--currently known as the "best cough medicine."

* Chocolate adds needed magnesium to the diet. The diet of most Americans is deficient in magnesium. A study shows that daily doses of chocolate improves magnesium levels in the blood.

* Chocolate makes milk easier to digest. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island found that cocoa stimulates lactase enzyme activity. Adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa to 1 cup of milk blocked cramping and bloating in half of 35 test subjects.

* Chocolate contains a high level of chromium, which can help control blood sugar.

In the 17th century, Europeans praised chocolate for its healing powers. They believed that chocolate aids digestion, stimulates the liver and kidneys (both organs of body detoxification), and strengthens the heart. It was also used to treat anemia, tuberculosis, fever and gout.

Health Problems

Happily, I could find nothing about chocolate itself being harmful to health, except that it can cause heartburn. Chocolate does NOT cause acne, most headaches, or hyperactivity, and does not raise cholesterol.

But there are some substances present in chocolate products that you should watch out for.

One of the major drawbacks health-wise to most chocolate products is that they contain tremendous amounts of refined white sugar, which is harmful to health in many ways. You can easily tell how much sugar is in any chocolate product by reading the Nutrition Facts on the label. It will tell you the amount of sugar in grams. There are 4.2 grams of sugar in a teaspoon, so if you want to know how much sugar is in a bar of chocolate in terms you can understand, divide the number of grams of sugar by 4 (or 4.2 if you have a calculator handy) and you will have the number of teaspoons. I have a 3-ounce chocolate bar sitting on my desk that has 15 grams of sugar--about three and a half teaspoons. When you know how much sugar is in the chocolate, you can choose your portion accordingly, or choose a different chocolate.

Chocolate may also contain pesticides. The EPA allows various levels of pesticide residue to be present in cocoa powder, and the FDA Total Diet Study found them in many chocolate products.

I was surprised to find that many chocolates contain the toxic metals cadminum and lead! According to independent laboratory tests done by the American Environmental Safety Institute, "significant levels" of these metals were found in 68% of the common chocolate products tested. Levels of lead in chocolate products (including syrup/toppings, milk chocolate products, dark chocolate products, and chocolate products that contain nuts, rice and other "inclusions"), ranged as high as 0.105 parts-per-million (ppm). Cadmium levels in chocolate products were present up to 0.136 ppm. There is no safe level for lead, and it is particularly harmful to children. Sources of lead include both pesticides and fertilizers and processing agents. Dutch-processed cocoa powder tested with a higher lead content than cocoa powders not treated with an alkaline agent, leading researchers to conclude that lead may be present in the alkaline agent (which is allowed by law).

Chocolate does contain caffeine, but very little compared to other sources. A 10-ounce cup of coffee has 170 milligrams of caffeine and a 10-ounce cup of tea 60 milligrams, compared to 6 milligrams in one ounce of chocolate candy or a 10 ounce glass of chocolate milk.

And what about "chocoholics"? In my opinion, an addiction to chocolate has more to do with addiction behavior patterns than the substance itself. Plus, there are so many benefits to eating chocolate, that our bodies may crave it as a source of magnesium, to improve blood circulation, or for many other reasons, particularly if the rest of one's diet is deficient.

Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Trade Chocolates

Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree, a small tropical rainforest tree native to the Americas. Most cacao harvested today is grown on the Ivory Coast of Africa, and in Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Brazil.

Some pretty toxic pesticides are used to grow cacao, but not all cacao is grown using pesticides. Some chocolate is certified organically grown, but not all pesticide-free chocolate is certified organic. Chocolate maker Scharffen Berger reports that pesticides are used on only about 20% of the cacao grown--many cacao growers can't afford to purchase pesticides or carry them to remote locations. Also, it's not always possible to certify cacao as organic even if it is--farmers may not have money to pay for certifications and inspectors may not be able to reach remote locations. In at least one case, a company could not pass the USDA organic standards even though their product met the European standards. As far as I can tell, there is probably a lot more pesticide-free cacao on the market than is certified organic. Your best bet is to avoid the chocolate sold by major manufacturers, who buy beans from large monocrop plantations that are most likely to use pesticides, and choose chocolates made by artisan companies who have direct relationships with their growers.

Though cacao is a rainforest plant, much rainforest habitat has been lost due to clearing the original forest for growing cacao as a monoculture. Since 1990, cacao production has expanded almost 25% and chocolate continues to increase in popularity. To halt the destruction of rainforest for cacao production, new farming practices are emerging that grow the cacao in the shade of the rainforest--their natural habitat, rather than on land that has been cleared for cacao production. This "shade grown" cacao often as a richer, deeper flavor, the result of natural soil nutrients and lack of direct sunlight.

Chocolate is a First World consumer luxury product grown in Third World countries. Most of the American marketplace is focused on low price, rather than a fair price for a quality product. Because of this, most chocolate producers look for ways to reduce their costs. While I have nothing against low prices and good profits for manufacturers, it is not sustainable or humane for these profits to be had at the expense of the workers who grow the raw materials and make the products. Often Third World workers are not paid a living wage, work under deplorable conditions, and are exploited in other ways. In Africa, children harvest the cacao beans from farms in the jungle using machetes and are left alone to spray crops with pesticides and insecticides, without masks, rubber boots or proper equipment. Some children are even traded and kept as slaves. (According to Worldwatch Institute, in 2002, the Ivory Coast cacao growers ratified a treaty against the labor abuse of children and the big chocolate companies are expected to certify "slavery-free" chocolate sometime in 2005).

Fair trade programs work to ensure living wages, the security of long-term trading contracts, guaranteed minimum health and safety conditions and other fair benefits. Like organic chocolate, not all fair trade chocolate is certified, for all the same reasons. Many of the smaller chocolate makers are familiar with the issues and apply fair trade principles in their dealings with Third World cacao producers.

Often organic or sustainable growing practices, habitat preservation, and fair trade practices go hand in hand. Companies who care about one issue generally care about them all.

What's What in the World of Chocolate

Before we go any further, it's important to understand the different terms used when describing different types of chocolate.

The cacao bean is the whole seed harvested from the cacao tree. Usually these are not offered for sale to consumers, but they are available on-line. It's easier, however, to buy cacao nibs, which are the meat of the roasted cacao bean with the husk removed, broken into bits. Cacao nibs are as close as you can get to the whole, complete cocoa bean in its natural state, without buying raw cacao beans and processing them yourself.

Chocolate liquor is the thick liquid that is the result of grinding the cacao nibs. It is not alcoholic. In this case "liquor" simply means "liquid."

Cocoa butter is the fat that is present in the chocolate liquor. It can be extracted and added to chocolate mixtures or used to make white chocolate. It is all fat. Cocoa butter gives chocolate the ability to be solid at room temperature, yet melt easily in your mouth. It is one of the most stable fats known. Its natural antioxidants prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of 2 to 5 years. Cocoa butter is widely used to give a smooth texture to chocolate and other foods, and is a common ingredient in tanning lotions, cosmetic products, and soaps because it is very moisturizing to the skin.

Cocoa powder is the dried and powdered solids that remain after the cocoa butter is extracted. Some cocoa powders are Dutch processed, which means that alkalai solutions have been added to raise the pH level of the cocoa, making it easier to control color and flavor. Better quality cocoa powders state that they are "non-alkaline" or otherwise indicate they are not Dutch processed. In addition, those cocoa powders that are Dutch-processed generally state so clearly on their labels.

Chocolate is solidified chocolate liquor. It comes in bars or chips or made into various kinds of confections, such as truffles. It is sold unsweetened or sweetened with various sweeteners. A stated percentage on the label tells how much solidified chocolate liquor (or "cocoa solids") the chocolate contains--the rest is sugar (except for about 1% soy lecithin and vanilla, and any inclusions such as nuts).

• Unsweetened chocolate is 99% solidified chocolate liquor.
• Bittersweet/Semisweet chocolate has a minimum 35% chocolate liquor by law, though the better brands contain much more and often bittersweet contains more chocolate liquor than semisweet. The remainder is usually refined white sugar.
• Milk Chocolate contains only about 10-20% chocolate liquor, milk solids, vanilla and/or soy lecithin, and 80-90% refined white sugar.

Healthy Chocolate Choices

Here are some guidelines for choosing the healthiest chocolates.

1. Choose chocolates with the least amount of refined white sugar or other sweetener. Cacao nibs, cocoa powder, and unsweetened baking chocolate have no sugar at all and can be sweetened with whatever sweetener you choose. Dark "bittersweet" chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa solids have less sugar than semisweet or milk chocolate and also have the greatest health benefits (perhaps because they contain the more actual chocolate and less sugar). Keep in mind that flavor additions, such as dried fruits and candied ginger may also add sugar to the chocolate.

2. Choose chocolates sweetened with evaporated cane juice or barley malt. Even though this is still made from the same sugar cane as most refined white sugar, it is far less processed and still contains many original nutrients. If the evaporated cane juice used is the unprocessed whole juice of the cane, it acts in the body like a whole food and doesn't give a sugar rush. Barley malt is also a slow-release sweetener, noted on the label as "grain-sweetened."

3. Choose organic chocolates. Certified organic chocolate ensures there are no harmful pesticide residues, but there are also pesticide-free chocolates that are not certified (see individual chocolate maker's websites).

4. Make your own chocolates. It's easy to make many chocolate delights yourself, with the exact ingredients you want. Start with unsweetened cocoa powder or baking chocolate and be creative! Recipes

The Beans Make the Chocolate

Chocolate is one of our favorite flavors, found in everything from protein drinks to bonbons. And so, there is a wide range in the quality and flavor of chocolate.

If you are going to eat chocolate, it's well worth buying high quality chocolate, rather than cheap milk chocolate bars or chocolate-flavored products.

The flavor of chocolate begins with the beans. Manufacturers have a "flavor profile" and blend beans from various sources based on availability and cost to match that profile.

Megamanufacturers won't talk about their beans, but artisan chocolate makers openly tell you all about them.

If you are buying unsweetened chocolate in particular, its best to choose an artisan brand. Major manufacturers use second-rate beans for unsweetened cocoa and chocolate, even though there is more chocolate in these products than sweetened chocolate bars and confections.

The country of origin and specific bean blend are more important to the taste of the end product than processing. Bad processing can ruin good beans, but expert processing can not improve the taste of an inferior bean. Like every other food, the quality of the original ingredients determines the quality of the finished product.

Like coffee and wine, cacao beans from different geographical regions have different flavors. Part of the art of chocolate making is blending the beans for a distinctive flavor. The newest trend in artisan chocolate is "single origin" chocolates, made from only one type of bean from a specific area. Tasting these chocolates will give you more of a sense of the actual taste of chocolate as produced by the plant, rather than as blended by the chocolate maker.

Small artisan producers buy more flavorful beans than large manufacturers. It's a matter of economics and supply. Large companies can use 10,000 tons of cacao beans each year, so they need to choose suppliers that can deliver large amounts. It's the artisan chocolate makers who are supporting the emerging organic and fair trade producers, because they can work with the smaller supply and charge more for their higher quality products.

Again like coffee and wine, the taste of chocolate is a matter of personal preference. Flavors are diverse: "nutty," "cherry," "smoky," "earthy," "spicy". Part of the enjoyment of chocolate is to find the chocolates that are most pleasing to your palate.

Savoring Chocolate

Fine chocolate is one of those earthly pleasures to be savored. When eaten as a special treat, with full appreciation, a little chocolate can go a long way.

Chocolate has the sensual benefit of melting--while you can certainly chew chocolate, allowing it to melt in your mouth can lengthen the enjoyment of each bite.

The key here is to choose quality over quantity. When you actually give your attention to the enjoyment of each morsel, even a single chocolate chip can give the same taste satisfaction as eating an entire chocolate bar.

Here are some thoughts on how to take chocolate for maximum enjoyment, based on advice from Sulpice Debauve, founder of the famed Parisian chocolate house of Debauve & Gallais.

1. Bring your attention to the chocolate
To the Aztec culture, the drinking of chocolate was a religious experience. Tasting chocolate can be a moment of meditation, a time apart from the stresses of daily life for renewal and joy. "It is important, above all," says Debauve, "to take one's time and to make each moment of tasting a moment of eternity. Serene, surrounded by loved ones, with a calm spirit - allow yourself to become absorbed in the taste of the chocolate."

2. Heighten your awareness of tastes and aromas
The ideal moment for tasting a fine chocolate is between meals. "The palate appreciates all best when its tasting ability isn't muddled by a pressing hunger or the saturation of the tastebuds following a large meal," says Debauve.

3. Perceive and enjoy the details
Here are Debauve's instructions for making the most of each piece of chocolate.
a. Place a chocolate in the middle of your tongue.
b. Chew it slowly, several times.
c. Allow the chocolate to linger on your tongue for several seconds. Notice the warm sensation and subtle tastes as the melting chocolate dissolves into the rich depths of full flavor.

Which ever chocolate you choose, allow it to give you its full measure of possible enjoyment.

ADDITIONAL INTERESTING LINKS

Exploratorium Magazine: The Sweet Lure of Chocolate
An on-line tour through the world of chocolate--starting with a visit to the Amazon, where some of the world's supply of chocolate is grown. Learn the history of chocolate, watch the chocolate-making process, visit the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory, discover the science of chocolate, and find out how chocolate affects health and why it make us feel so good.

seventypercent.com: Be more healthy - eat more chocolate
A lighthearted history of the health benefits of chocolate.

The Cocoa Tree
Lots of details about the cacao tree itself and how it is grown, including photos of the tree and pods that contain the seeds we call cacao beans.

World Cocoa Foundation
"Dedicated to providing global training on low-cost methods to produce quality cocoa in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner," so as to improve the standard of living for cocoa farmers. Website explains many details of production.

International Cocoa Organization
Has the objective of promoting international cooperation in strengthening national cocoa economies and further development of balanced, sustainable farming practices.

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