Choco-healthics

by Neda Jafar

Its velvety, creamy texture and rich, unique taste is not only enough to make your sweet tooth quiver with excitement, but this once "forbidden sweet’s" aroma causes mouths to water. Though heavenly to taste, chocolate has always been an inadmissible bonbon delighting mouths on only special occasions. However, recent studies have shown that chocolate may actually contribute to cardiovascular health! This is good news for your taste buds! But wait! Before you begin to plan a chocolate diet, know that not all chocolates carry ingredients that could potentially benefit your health.

In a recent interview, Harold Schmidt, PhD. and Director of Science and Nutrition for Mars Inc. explained to TeenSpeak how recent research has shown that chocolate can be a positive contributor to your heart (cardiovascular) health. After ten years of conducting studies, a team of scientists at Mars determined that chocolate’s signature ingredient, cocoa, prevents saturated fat from clogging your arteries. The scientists were prompted to research the compounds in cocoa, called flavonoids, after learning how similar compounds in red wine and green tea added to one’s health. Dr. Schmidt stated that, "If you feed chocolates that are relatively rich in these compounds to people on a short term basis, you can see changes in their blood profile that would suggest that these compounds could be beneficial for their heart." Not all chocolates on the market, however are created equal for beneficial consumption. There are, in fact, few types of chocolates that contain these flavonoids. The key ingredient in all chocolate is cocoa, which is grown in the rainforests of equatorial countries. Various manufacturing methods, such as heating sub-stantially decreases the health elements in many chocolates. The darker, the more natural the state of the chocolate, the better the health benefit. Mars’ semi-sweet mini-M&Ms used for baking and Dove dark chocolate are two products that do have these unique compounds.

Yet, even the healthiest foods should be eaten in moderation, and, as Dr. Schmidt commented, "We always go to great pains to emphasize that good nutrition is about eating a well balanced diet and foods in moderation. What you look for in nutrition is putting together combinations of different foods that supply different things so that it can make a contribution to your health. And chocolate, some chocolate can do that."