Did you know that Dark Chocolate is a health food? I was going to write a blog about dark chocolate but found a great article by Deane Alban, co creator of "Brain Fit", that sums it all up. Dark chocolate boosts mood, protects the brain from damage, improves memory and focus, reduces stress and much more.
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt" — Charles M. Schulz
The world loves chocolate.
Americans eat 3 billion pounds of it every year. But US consumption lags far behind that of the top chocolate-loving countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Great Britain. We love chocolate not just because of the way it tastes. We love it because of the way it makes us feel. It’s rare that something so downright delicious is also good for you, but dark chocolate is an exception to the rule. You’ll find dark chocolate at the top of any brain food list.
Let’s take a look at 9 proven brain health benefits of dark chocolate to see why.
1. Eating dark chocolate can make you happy.
Dark chocolate boost the production of “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins.
Endorphins bind with opiate receptors in the brain leading to feelings of euphoria, like the kind joggers get from “runner’s high.”
They also reduce pain and diminish the negative effects of stress.
Chocolate is a top dietary source of tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to serotonin, the neurotransmitter of happiness and positive mood.
Chocolate is the only known food source of anandamide, sometimes called the “bliss molecule.”
This neurotransmitter is very similar to THC, the primary psychoactive component found in marijuana.
Dark chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a compound called the “love drug” because it creates a brain buzz similar to being in love.
2. Dark chocolate improves blood flow to the brain.
Compounds in dark chocolate boost memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain.
The flavonoids in chocolate have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain in young and old alike.
In one study, a single dose of flavonol-rich cocoa increased blood flow to the brain in healthy, young adults.
A study at Harvard Medical School found that drinking two cups of hot chocolate increased blood flow to the brain for 2-3 hours.
This blood flow boost improved scores on a working memory speed test by 30%.
Increased blood flow to the brain may help short-term memory and prevent mental decline in seniors.
3. Dark chocolate protects the brain against free radical damage.
Your brain uses a lot of oxygen, about 20% of the body’s total intake.
This makes it highly susceptible to free radical damage.
Free radicals are unattached oxygen molecules that attack your cells much in the same way that oxygen attacks metal, causing it to rust.
If you’ve ever seen a sliced apple or avocado turn brown, you’ve seen free radicals at work.
The same process is going on inside your brain.
Antioxidants protect brain cells by neutralizing free radical damage and preventing premature brain cell aging.
Cocoa powder has a higher level of antioxidants than other “superfoods” such as acai, blueberry, and pomegranate powders.
When tested against coffee and tea, cocoa powder drink came out ahead of green tea but behind coffee.
4. Dark chocolate improves learning, memory, and focus.
Cocoa’s flavonoids penetrate and accumulate in the brain regions involved in learning and memory, especially the hippocampus.
Chocolate contain flavonoids which improve standardized cognitive test scores.
Chocolate contains some caffeine, a known brain booster that improves memory, mood, and concentration.
How much caffeine does dark chocolate have compared to coffee and tea?
According to Caffeine Informer, Ghirardelli 60% cacao dark chocolate contains about 30 mg of caffeine per ounce, while Hershey’s cocoa powder contains 48 mg per ounce.
Green tea contains 25 mg and brewed coffee contains 64-272 mg per eight ounces.
You can see that the caffeine in a normal size serving of chocolate is relatively low.
So most likely eating chocolate won’t make you wired or keep you up at night.
5. Dark chocolate can help relieve stress.
Magnesium is so good at helping you relax that it’s been dubbed the “original chill pill.”
But it’s largely missing from our diets.
Chocolate is one of the best food sources of magnesium.
It’s largely believed we crave chocolate for its magnesium.
Getting more magnesium from chocolate can improve focus, mood, sleep, and resilience to stress.
Theobromine is a compound found mainly in chocolate.
It’s related to caffeine, but paradoxically is a relaxant, not a stimulant.
6. Eating dark chocolate can help control food cravings.
Chocolate is the most widely craved food.
But indulging in cheap, mass-produced chocolate doesn’t reduce cravings. In fact, it fuels them.
Eating a little dark chocolate has been shown to reduce cravings for junk food of all kinds — sweet, salty, and fatty.
Consequently it can help you make healthy food choices, cut calories and lose weight.
Is all this satisfaction due to chocolate’s unique profile of phytochemicals?
Or is there a psychological aspect to our love affair with chocolate?
Interestingly, it seems that the sensory experience of eating dark chocolate is an important part of its ability to satisfy cravings.
When scientists put the beneficial ingredients of chocolate in a pill, it did not have the same effect.
7. Dark chocolate consumption can protect your brain for a lifetime.
There have been many exciting findings surrounding chocolate’s use in treating brain-related medical conditions like strokes and dementia.
The powerful antioxidants found in dark chocolate reduce risk of dementia.
In fact, the more chocolate seniors ate, the less likely they were to develop dementia.
Chocolate’s flavanols improved cognition in seniors diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Dark chocolate decreases insulin resistance.
Many experts believe Alzheimer’s is a disease of insulin resistance.
It’s now sometimes referred to as type 3 diabetes.
When brain cells become insulin resistant, they don’t get the glucose they need, and subsequently die.
The consumption of flavonoid-rich foods like cocoa hold the potential to limit, prevent, or reverse age-related deterioration of brain functions.
8. Dark chocolate supports good intestinal bacteria, helping your brain.
One of the most unusual dark chocolate health benefits is that it increases beneficial bacteria in your intestines.
And oddly, this is good news for your brain!
Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are two of the most prevalent “good” bacteria in your gut and are found in most probiotic supplements.
They act as antioxidants, protecting your brain from free radical damage.
Chocolate acts as a prebiotic, keeping good bacteria levels high and bad bacteria in check.
An overabundance of bad bacteria can lower levels of important brain chemicals.
9. Eating dark chocolate may make you smarter.
You’ve already seen that eating chocolate can improve your ability to learn, focus and remember.
One study reports that the more chocolate a country consumes, the more Nobel prize winners it has!
While this may sound like a joke, the study was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, a serious organization not known for pranks.
What to Look For When Buying Chocolate
What makes dark chocolate a better brain food than milk chocolate?
Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate contains more of the things that are good for you, like flavonoids and antioxidants, and less of the things that aren’t, like sugar.
It’s believed that the dairy in milk chocolate could interfere with flavonoid absorption, but so far studies have been inconclusive.
What’s in a Number?
When you see a number like 70% on a bar of dark chocolate, this indicates the total percentage of everything derived from the cocoa bean — chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
In general, 70% is a good place to start if you want the genuine health benefits of dark chocolate.
If you really don’t like 70%, start around 50% and work your way up.
Like many of the finer things in life, eating very dark chocolate can be an acquired taste.
If you just can’t get into dark chocolate because it’s too bitter, give cacao nibs a try.
They are minimally processed cacao beans that contain no sugar and surprisingly are nutty-tasting rather than bitter.
You’ll see both “cacao” and “cocoa” on chocolate labels. Cacao is the name of the bean from which chocolate is derived. Cocoa refers to the processed final product.
Should You Buy Organic Dark Chocolate?
I’ve seen several websites mention that cacao is heavily sprayed with pesticides making it one of the most chemical-laden food crops.
But I haven’t found any reliable data to back this up or that shows how much of a health concern this is for the consumer.
However, organic is usually a good indicator of overall quality.
Truly healthy dark chocolate will contain only a handful of ingredients.
It won’t contain high fructose corn syrup, chemical additives, partially hydrogenated oil, artificial color or flavoring, or any other artificial ingredients.
If you’re looking for healthy, organic dark chocolate here are some reputable brands to try:
- Chocolove XOXOX
- Dagoba
- Endangered Species
- Green & Black’s
- Lake Champlain
- Lindt
- Newman’s Own
- Scharffen Berger
- Seeds of Change
- Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic
- Valrhona
- Vosges
You may have noticed the words “fair trade” on chocolate labels.
Fair Trade certification ensures that cacao farmers receive a fair price and that no slave or child labor was used.
The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate: The Bottom Line
Dark chocolate is a powerful brain booster.
This delicious brain food can improve your overall brain health, focus, and concentration, and even make you happier.
It can protect your brain against aging and oxidation and help keep it fit and fully functioning for a lifetime.
To get the most health benefits, choose the darkest chocolate that you enjoy.
Bon appetit! -
Article by Deane Alban