How Do I Know If My Choice Of Chocolate Is Healthy?

by Kathi
(Pennsylvania)

Everyone has heard by now about the health benefits of chocolate but very little is mentioned about the limitations and restrictions which are placed on the variety deemed "the best" for your health.

Chocolate, or more accurately cacao (this is the form of chocolate without the addition of cocoa butter, the part that has high levels of concentrated fats). Pure cacao products deliver a response similar to aspirin in the body by relieving and preventing blood clots in the different chambers of the heart. Increased blood flow, wider openings in the blood vessels themselves and a decreased erosion of coronary arteries all equates to a reduced chance of heart attack or stroke.

Still, most people do not eat pure chocolate. The forms they are familiar with include milk chocolate which adds milk or milk-based products, sugars and fats or cocoa butter. Even dark chocolate often has the added extra ingredients, such as sugars and milk ingredients.

For your best choice as an addition to your healthful diet, look for a good quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cacao) with no added milk (products) or sugars on the label. If possible, choose a label marked organic and Fair Trade if available. Alternatively, eating the cacao nib only (roasted cocoa bean) is another excellent choice.

Remember though, chocolate itself is still high in calories. A mere 1-2 ounces, three or four times a week is plenty to guide your body towards a future of better healthy results.